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World Bank funds aim at standards adoption in Africa
,----[ Quote ]
| The World Bank has released a US$1.5 million grant for adoption of software
| standards by Kenya developers, a move expected to improve the global appeal
| of local software developers.
|
| The development of software standards is part of regional efforts to help
| local developers gain global recognition.
|
| The grant will be disbursed through tenders to be advertised widely. The
| local software industry is expected to benefit from the Kenya ICT Board's
| collaboration with global brands such as Oracle and Red Hat.
`----
http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2009/08/28/world-bank-funds-aim-standards-adoption-africa
Recent:
Software development course due
,----[ Quote ]
| The East African Centre for Open Source (EACOS) is to host the first East
| African regional training on business and open sourcing in Kampala.
`----
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/220/692378
Five years of introducing students to open source
,----[ Quote ]
| We've just concluded our fifth Google Summer of Code, our flagship global
| program to introduce college and university students to open source
| development. Once again, the results this year have been impressive. Nearly
| 2,000 mentors from 64 countries participated in the program.
`----
http://www.blog.adminet.fr/five-years-of-introducing-students-to-open-source-synd0092423.html
Ghana: Imani Honours Late Guido Sohne
,----[ Quote ]
| "He was one of the early founding members of the Free and Open Source
| Foundation for Africa as well as being part of the FOSSFA Council. However,
| he resigned due to differences over governance and direction of the
| organization and moved on to establish a new organization called
| AfricanIntelligence with the purpose of focusing on developing developers
| rather than promoting open source software."
|
| "He was responsible for the first Open Source project in West Africa (and
| possibly in sub-Saharan Africa as well) and won awards for creating two of
| Africa's top fifty websites. He has made minor contributions to OSS projects
| like the Linux Cross Reference tool, RedHat's Interchange e-commerce system,
| Ruby's Rannotate and JavaScript and Ruby implementations of a 2D barcode
| system, DataMatrix aka Semacode."
`----
http://allafrica.com/stories/200908101413.html
Kenya hosts first Open Source Awards
,----[ Quote ]
| The Linux Professional Association of Kenya and ICT Consumers Association of
| Kenya will be hosting Kenya's first Open Source Awards. The ceremony will be
| held at the Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, on 27 May 2009.
`----
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/111/16/36077.html
Open source software cheaper option for government bodies
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux Professional Association on Kenya, Âa group of local software
| developers, has embarked on a sensitisation programme among government bodies
| with the aim of wooing them to use Free Open Source Software (FOSS).
|
| Among government bodies targeted are the Public Procurement Oversight
| Authority (PPOA) and the Kenya ICT board. PPOA is mandated to enforce and
| oversee the implementation of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act. An Act
| which the organisation says is being flouted, thus locking them out of public
| tenders.
|
| Linux says the use of open source software will not only save the Government
| lots of money, but also create employment for small and medium entrepreneurs
| engaged in software development locally.
`----
http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11880&Itemid=5847
Linux and Us Kenyans - Part II
,----[ Quote ]
| Also in stock are the following;
|
| 1) Linux Mandriva 2007 DVD (for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms)
|
| 2) PCLinux OS (tiny me) for 32-bit and 64-bit platforms), superlight weight
| (only 190MB) which can be loaded into RAM and the OS runs from there. Basic
| resources, Opera browser, audio player, photo viewer, excellent graphics,
| best distro for a quick âWhat is Linuxâ demonstration, one can install all
| the stuff they want and then remaster the system i.e create an installable CD
| with the installed applications already therein.
|
| 3) Zenlive 5 (32-bit and 64-bit platforms), another lightweight Linux CD but
| with much more than PCLinux OS (tinyme). It includes browsers, DVD/CD
| burners, an Office suite, pdf reader, media players, basic hardware support
| etc.
|
| 4) Ubuntu 8.10(64-bit platform)
|
| 5) Mandriva 2008.1 CD (for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms)
|
| 6) Mandriva 2009.0 CD (for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms)
|
| 7) Zencafe Linux, the perfect solution for cybercafes. This is an operating
| system specifically tailored to provide and manage services(for the client
| and server machine respectively),efficient accounting system, maximum
| security, efficient deployment of services, and excellent network
| adminstration at the servers end.
`----
http://mwendariungu.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/linux-and-us-kenyans-part-ii/
Kenya: Copyright Board Takes Piracy War to Cyber Cafes
,----[ Quote ]
| Cyber cafà operators within Nairobi are torn between legalising their
| Microsoft software operating system, shifting to Open Source Code or closing
| shop all together following the crack down on illegal software.
|
| [...]
|
| According to Mr Kasani, the software will manage all aspects of cyber cafÃ
| billing such as Internet time, printing, items, accounts, discounts, the
| programme will be across platform , it will be possible to run it on both
| Linux and Windows computers connected on the same cyber works.
`----
http://allafrica.com/stories/200711262040.html
Linux cutting software costs in Kenya
,----[ Quote ]
| Entrepreneurs in Kenya are putting Linux to work to cut costs and maximise
| profits as they look for new ways to bring computing to users.One of these
| entrepreneurs is Patrick Mathenge, CEO of Mullard Electronic Limited, a firm
| trading in hardware and software from its Mombasa Road offices. The company
| is distributing Linux software that can turn a single computer into up to 10
| workstations.
`----
http://www.tectonic.co.za/?p=2392
Open source opportunity on the road to Nairobi
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=1725
Microsoft Denies Threatening to Withdraw Funding
,----[ Quote ]
| However, the denial was a contradiction to comments by Bitange Ndemo,
| permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication, who
| said that Microsoft may have made comments regarding funding, though not
| directly or in writing. Â
|
| "They may have said something to that effect though not directly and not in
| writing. Microsoft cannot threaten us. In any case, our policy is very clear,
| we encourage people to use open-source software and those who want to use
| proprietary software are at liberty to do so" Ndemo said. Â
|
| There was heated debate in Kenya's technology sector before the decision to
| abstain. The decision was made by a 12-member committee. Some experts felt
| that the committee was comprised of a majority of Microsoft partners. Â
`----
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144898/microsoft_denies_threatening_to_withdraw_funding.html
Kenya: How Software War Will Hurt Consumers
,----[ Quote ]
| Rather than buy Microsoft software or pay royalty fees to the company, most
| cyber-cafes around the country are choosing to instal free, open source
| software.
|
| This follows the start of an aggressive campaign by the software giant in
| October last year, which targeted cyber-cafes that are illegally using its
| software and denying it the right to benefit from many years of research.
`----
http://allafrica.com/stories/200805150945.html
Kenya Linux Group Challenges Procurement Policies
,----[ Quote ]
| After losing out on many software tenders to the government, the Linux
| Professional Association (LPA) will engage the Public Procurement Oversight
| Authority (PPOA) in Kenya over procurement rules, according to the
| association chairman.
|
| The association members have been locked out of government tenders because
| the requests for proposals are usually skewed toward Microsoft products,
| therefore locking out open-source software developed locally, says LPA
| Chairman Evans Ikua.
`----
http://www.cio.com/article/367113/Kenya_Linux_Group_Challenges_Procurement_Policies
Related:
Africa: 'Microsoft is Imperialistic' Says Open Source Advocates
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corporation's products have been locked out of the
| on-going World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi Kenya.
|
| With over 300 computers provided for participants and the press,
| organizers of the WSF have preferred to provide open source
| software products and blocked all Microsoft related products for
| the forum's usage and its related activities.
|
| [...]
|
| Activists at the forum also believe that since Microsoft is a
| corporate brand from the United States of America, a country
| they believe has intentions of maintaining the status quo of
| a unipolar world over which it is above international law and
| the UN, the brand should be locked out.
|
| [...]
|
| "The open source movement is providing Linux, a robust free
| software. Everybody owns it and it can be shared. And this
| is what WSF is all about - a free society, a movement
| fighting for ownership of free resources" he adds.
`----
http://allafrica.com/stories/200701230831.html
Swahili Blogosphere: State of education in Tanzania, M-Pesa and Open Source
Movement in Kenya
,----[ Quote ]
| Maitha, who blogs at Mawazo na Mawaidha, writes about M-Pesa and open
| source movement in Kenya. Recently, he, used M-Pesa service. He points
| out an incorrect Swahili phrase used by the service and wonders why
| they did not consult a Swahili linguist.
|
| He posts links to three Kenyan websites dedicated to the promotion of
| open source software. He believes that the websites will contribute to
| the growth of open source movement in Kenya.
`----
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/05/06/swahili-blogosphere-state-of-education-in-tanzania-m-pesa-and-open-source-movement-in-kenya/
http://tinyurl.com/2nne3r
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