Convergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors in the East African Community (EAC): Challenges for the current legislative and regulatory frameworks and lessons from the European Union experience

The East African Community (EAC)'s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has been confronted with the convergence phenomenon. This is a concept that describes the trend of blurring boundaries between the traditionally distinct ICT sectors, namely: Information Technology (IT), broadcasting and telecommunications. This is significant for the EAC since the driving force behind this convergence phenomenon is that of efficiency. It necessitates the need to rethink the current legislative and regulatory frameworks in the ICT sector in order to cope with this phenomenon. The need to address this is pertinent since adapting to legislative and regulatory frameworks that are fully converged will expand access to ICT, stimulate economic growth, technological advancement, and also faster integration process of the EAC. Therefore this paper aims to demonstrate the following: Implications and challenges of this trend for the EAC legislative and regulatory frameworks; the need for a common legislative and regulatory framework that is fully converged. It therefore focuses on the inadequacies of the existing legislative and regulatory frameworks and reveals the lacunae in the present frameworks and how they fail to adequately address convergence phenomenon. The paper recommends effective, workable and consistent proposals on how to address the inadequacies. This brings awareness and deepens the understanding of the regulatory convergence issues to the ICT stakeholders in the region and the challenges of convergence on the existing frameworks. This will contribute to better legislative and regulatory frameworks in the EAC ICT market. It will therefore enable the region to enjoy the benefits of convergence and minimise instances of inefficiency in regulation of these converged ICT markets. --East African Community (EAC),Legislative and Regulatory Harmonization,Convergence,Information and Communication Technology (ICT),Regulation

Convergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors in the East African Community (EAC): Challenges for the current legislative and regulatory frameworks and lessons from the European Union experience

The East African Community (EAC)'s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has been confronted with the convergence phenomenon. This is a concept that describes the trend of blurring boundaries between the traditionally distinct ICT sectors, namely: Information Technology (IT), broadcasting and telecommunications. This is significant for the EAC since the driving force behind this convergence phenomenon is that of efficiency. It necessitates the need to rethink the current legislative and regulatory frameworks in the ICT sector in order to cope with this phenomenon. The need to address this is pertinent since adapting to legislative and regulatory frameworks that are fully converged will expand access to ICT, stimulate economic growth, technological advancement, and also faster integration process of the EAC. Therefore this paper aims to demonstrate the following: Implications and challenges of this trend for the EAC legislative and regulatory frameworks; the need for a common legislative and regulatory framework that is fully converged. It therefore focuses on the inadequacies of the existing legislative and regulatory frameworks and reveals the lacunae in the present frameworks and how they fail to adequately address convergence phenomenon. The paper recommends effective, workable and consistent proposals on how to address the inadequacies. This brings awareness and deepens the understanding of the regulatory convergence issues to the ICT stakeholders in the region and the challenges of convergence on the existing frameworks. This will contribute to better legislative and regulatory frameworks in the EAC ICT market. It will therefore enable the region to enjoy the benefits of convergence and minimise instances of inefficiency in regulation of these converged ICT markets

Human Development as Integral Development: The Social Teaching of the Church in an African Context

It has been commonly held that the main cause of underdevelopment is the lack of capital. This dissertation is based on the observation that underdevelopment still persists in Kenya despite billions of dollars in foreign aid from Western Europe and North America. The main focus of this dissertation is an attempt to understand an effective remedial action to such an economic situation of underdevelopment. The dissertation seeks to find the remedy for underdevelopment by the methodological means of demonstrating how a holistic understanding of human development entails integral development in Kenya. The thesis and the overview of this dissertation are in the introduction. The claim that Kenya is still a developing nation is demonstrated in the first chapter. Chapter two seeks a holistic understanding of human development as integral development with a view to overcoming underdevelopment in the methodological light of the pre-Vatican II social teaching of the Church. Chapter three illustrates such a holistic understanding as a rights-based concept of human development. Chapter four attempts to specify the post-conciliar holistic understanding of human development as integral development with a view to overcoming underdevelopment. Chapter five seeks the remedy for underdevelopment within the conceptual framework of a rights-based understanding of human development as integral development. The concluding chapter six seeks to contextualize the findings of the dissertation within the historical background of the nation-state of Kenya. It proposes a cross-cultural encounter between African socialism and Western liberalism. This chapter concludes with other propositions for a mutual complementation or reciprocal enrichment between the African Weltanschauung and Western thought, for example, in the interdisciplinary field of inculturated African ethics

Membership as a business model: exploring reader revenue stream for media organizations in Kenya

The media landscape is facing an unprecedented crisis characterised by dwindling revenue, technological disruption, audience retention challenge, and competition from other forms of media and technology firms, with growth in digital media unable to cover the shortfall. In Kenya, the revenue crisis has morphed into the shrinking of newsrooms through massive sacking and loss of jobs, profit warnings by leading media houses and delayed payment of staff salaries. One of the main drivers of shrinking newsrooms is because of audience fragmentation and segmentation that has led to the rise of niche platforms fighting for the same revenue with mainstream media. The challenging media landscape calls for a rethink of the media business, especially on new revenue models. Media houses are now looking more to reader revenue as opposed to over-reliance on advertising revenue. The main of objective of this study was to explore membership as a revenue model for digital media in Kenya. The other specific objectives were to find out the revenue models existing in digital media in Kenya and to draw guidelines and membership incentive list for digital media in Kenya. This was an exploratory study that used qualitative method where 11 media leaders from eight media houses in Kenya were interviewed to give their views on the existing revenue model and their understanding of the viability of membership as a revenue model in digital newsrooms. From their views the study came up with a list of seven incentives media houses can use to attract and retain members. Membership being a new topic in Kenya this study relied on a document analysis of membership programs globally. Document analysis of the Membership Puzzle Project helped to illustrate the steps a media house should take while setting up a membership program using their Membership Guide

Differentiation of Schistosoma haematobium from related schistosomes by PCR amplifying an inter-repeat sequence.

Schistosoma haematobium infects nearly 150 million people, primarily in Africa, and is transmitted by select species of local bulinid snails. These snails can host other related trematode species as well, so that effective detection and monitoring of snails infected with S. haematobium requires a successful differentiation between S. haematobium and any closely related schistosome species. To enable differential detection of S. haematobium DNA by simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we designed and tested primer pairs from numerous newly identified Schistosoma DNA repeat sequences. However, all pairs tested were found unsuitable for this purpose. Differentiation of S. haematobium from S. bovis, S. mattheei, S. curassoni, and S. intercalatum (but not from S. margrebowiei) was ultimately accomplished by PCR using one primer from a newly identified repeat, Sh110, and a second primer from a known schistosomal splice-leader sequence. For evaluation of residual S. haematobium transmission after control interventions, this differentiation tool will enable accurate monitoring of infected snails in areas where S. haematobium is sympatric with the most prevalent other schistosome species

Common Heritage, Diverse Interests: Deforestation and Conservation Alternatives for Mount Kenya

Héritage commun, intérêts divers : la déforestation et la protection-conservation de la nature au Mont Kenya. Au cours de la dernière décennie, de vastes espaces naturels ont été détruits an Kenya. Une des zones les plus affectées a été le Mont Kenya, pourtant une des régions majeures de conservation et de protection du pays. Les pratiques destructrices ont été variées autant que leurs acteurs. Les stratégies de gestion durable de ces zones naturelles sont elles aussi très diversifiées. L’article présente l’héritage existant au Mont Kenya et comment la mauvaise utilisation a influé sur les alternatives conservatoires. Les facteurs de la destruction environnementale sont ensuite abordés. L’exemple du Mont Kenya est analysé en vue d’encourager la conservation et le développement de la montagne-zone protégée. Cependant la déforestation a permis le développement de nouvelles options de conservation en vue d’un développement durable en favorisant les alternatives pour une bonne gouvernance des ressources naturelles et l’éco-tourisme.Over the last decade there has been massive destruction of natural resource areas in Kenya. One of the areas greatly affected by this destruction was Mount Kenya, a key conservation and protection areas in the country. The destructive practices were as varied as there were actors. Also varied have been suggested strategies to management of these natural areas in a sustainable manner. This article discusses the heritage endowment of Mount Kenya and how its misuse has influenced conservation alternative for Mount Kenya. The article first discusses the policy basis for destruction of the mountain on which the deforestation was discussed and blame on the destruction apportioned. It then highlights the heritage which Mount Kenya is endowed with showing how the heritage attracts interests from various actors and how this heritage could be a basis to encourage conservation and development of the mountain as a protected area. The article then discuses the deforestation practices that the mountain has faced especially in the late 1990s showing how the deforestation has influenced new conservation options for sustainable development and conservation of Mount Kenya by looking at good natural resource governance alternatives and the role of eco-tourism as an integrating tool

Accelerating the flow of new ideas to rural people, a proposal for a pilot extension training project in Nyeri

The present paper is subdivided in three sections. In the first section, an overview of the development of the Special Rural Development Programme, from its inception at the 1965 Kericho Conference, to the present time, is presented. In the second section, we focus our attention specifically upon the Tetu Division SEDP. We describe our rationale, methods of research design and major findings of the Tetu Extension Pilot Project baseline survey conducted in 1970. The final section is devoted to a proposal outlining an experimental strategy for increasing rural incomes via the acceleration of the flow of income-generating ideas and practices to small scale farmers

Reconciliación del hombre con la creación como camino de construcción del Reino de Dios^

Este trabajo es sobre una aproximación a los fundamentos teológicos para la reconciliación del hombre consigo mismo, con la creación y con Dios. El trabajo trata de ver las quebraduras de las dimensiones relacionales que afectan la pacífica vivencia del hombre. La reconciliación del hombre con lo que se ha roto del orden normal es el único camino para establecer las relaciones armónicas. Los fundamentos teológicos de este trabajo son: la justicia ecológica y la justicia social, la metanoía como cimiento de reconciliación, el seguimiento auténtico de Jesucristo para salvar la creación.This work tries to have an approximation to the theological fundamentals for the reconciliation of man with himself, with the creation and with God. The work looks at the ruptures of relationship that affect the peaceful existence of man. The reconciliation of man with what has ruptured from the normal order is the unique way to establish harmonic relationships. The fundamentals theological of this work are: ecological justice and social justice, metanoia as fundamental of reconciliation and the authentic following of Jesus Christ to save the creation.Teólogo (a)Pregrad

Safety and analgesic properties of ethanolic extracts of Toddalia asiatica (L) Lam. (rutaceae) used for central and peripheral pain management among the east african ethnic communities

BACKGROUND: Although herbs are often perceived as “natural” and therefore safe, many different side effects have been reported. Additionally, there is limited scientific evidence to establish the safety and efficacy of most herbal products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical and  haematological effects of Toddaliaasiatica (L) Lam. (Rutaceae) (T. asiatica (L.) in albino Wistar rats.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The phytochemicals present in the plant were determined. The analgesic activity was determined using the hot plate technique. The whole blood with anticoagulant was used for assay of the haematological parameters using the COULTERAc•T5diff AL Hematology Analyzer (Fullerton, CA, USA). The biochemical parameters determined with HumaLyzer 2000, a semi-automatic, microprocessor-controlled photometer fromchem-labs, Nairobi.RESULTS: The effect of extract on serum biochemical parameters after 14 days treatment with the crude ethanolic extract of T. asiatica (L.) revealed significant difference in the Cholesterol (P = 0.041), alanine transaminase (P = 0.007), gamma-glutamyl transferase (P = 0.045). There was no significance in the alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) levels compared to the untreated controls. Peripheral blood films (PBFs) of the treated animals were performed and stained with leishman’s stain. Major morphological changes were observed including anisocytosis, burr cells, anisochromia, hypochromia and reactive lymphocytes among others.CONCLUSION: The crude extract of T. asiatica (L.) showed better analgesic effect (28.2±13.16) than Acetylsalicylate used as control (4±0.31). The potential of T. asiatica (L.) asananalgesic was  remarkable. However, the crude extract of T. asiatica (L.) induced nephrotoxicity and liver enzymes  modulation and elevated total cholesterol in the test organisms compared to the untreated negative  controls.KEYWORDS: Biochemical, Haematological, Toxicity, Phytochemical

FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFICIENCY OF NATIONAL ELECTRIC GRID IN KENYA

Efficiency of a national electric grid which is a complex interconnected network for delivering electricity from generating stations to consumers is one of the economic growth stimulus and for any country to prosper its stability and efficiency is paramount. Kenyans countrywide experience grid inefficiencies such as frequent power outages, slow response to outages, wrong billings, and high cost of electricity such that customer complaints are on day-to-day basis. This research project had four variables; government policies, energy management, technology and natural phenomenon and their effect on efficiency of national electric grid in Kenya with reference to Nairobi County. Used descriptive research design where the target population was 300 Nairobi county employees of Kenya Power in the various units of the Engineering departments. Stratified random sampling technique was used. A sample of 90 respondents was realized by taking 30% of staff in each engineering unit from the target population. Survey questionnaire was given to each member of the sample population for the purpose of the research. A pilot study pretested and validated the questionnaire. Quantitative data collected was analyzed by descriptive statistics using SPSS and presented through frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. The information was displayed by means of graphs, bar charts, and pie charts. Qualitative data or data collected from the open-ended questions was tested using content analysis. Research study revealed that government policies, Energy management, technology and natural phenomena affected the efficiency of national electric grid in Kenya to a great extent. It recommended that the government should regulate policies and set up the ones which favor the development of the National Electric Grid. That Kenya Power Ltd should educate the society on issues of energy management, which will optimize energy usage hence, improve efficiency. That it should always change with the changing technologies in order to remain competitive and up to date with emerging technologies in order to provide better services to its customers. That it should have an understanding of all the natural phenomena, which may affect the electric grid hence, be prepared to mitigate them. The researcher recommended that other studies should be carried out to cover other factors effecting efficiency of national electric grid in Kenya apart from the factors discussed in this study