Outrage Among Kenyans Against Proposed ICT Practitioners Bill
Kenyan taxpayers, users of communication gadgets are outraged with proposed ICT Practitioners Bill brought to Parliament by Leader of Majority Aden Duale.
The outrage was expressed online with a petition uploaded online to Petitioning President Uhuru Kenyatta ‘Say No to the ICT Practitioners Bill’.
According to the proposed Information and Communication Technology Practitioners Bill 2016, is “An ACT of Parliament to provide for the training, registration, licensing, practice and standards of ICT practitioners and for connected purposes.”
If enacted into law, to practice any ICT related activities, one has to be:
- is the holder of at least a bachelor’s degree in an ICT related field from a recognized university;
- is the holder of at least a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university and has relevant ICT experience of at least three years;
- is the holder of a diploma from a recognized university and has passed an examination or fulfilled such requirements as may be prescribed by the Council;
- Satisfies the Council that he or she is a person of good moral character and a fit and proper person to be registered under this Act.
Grace Githaiga, from the Kenya ICT Action Network went online and said, “This ICT bill will make life hard for many of the youth working as coders, network administrators, and mobile repairs.”
“It will require our youth to get a gate pass to the Silicon Savannah,” She added.
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) stated that if enacted, “The ICT bill is going to kill innovation.”
“Anyone who has worked in the ICT field knows that this is a free world of trade,” part of the petition reads, “These regulations are more likely to hinder youths progress than to help the industry.”
Twitter user @roomthinker in disgust said,” My theory is that there is someone in government whose work is to think “How can we possibly make life harder for Kenyans? For example, one of the most absurd pieces of legislation I have ever read, the ICT practitioners bill.”
Accordingly, he stated that, the last thing any sane administration should do is kill an entire industry. “What problem is this absolutely absurd legislation trying to solve? Why try to kill one of the few sectors that is growing?
“For context if that RIDICULOUS bill had passed in the USA, there would be no Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter, Whatsapp or Dell.”
For context if that RIDICULOUS bill had passed in the USA, there would be no Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter, Whatsapp or Dell
— Ivar The Boneless (@roomthinker) July 6, 2016
However, Sakaja Johnson a legislator in the National Assembly responded online that it is currently under consultation.
The #ICTBill is not only archaic but totally ill informed and backward. It's not sponsored by the Ministry or stakeholders #KillTheICTBill
— Sakaja Arthur Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) July 6, 2016
“The Draft ICT Policy is undergoing stakeholder consultation & should first be agreed upon and then legislate (if necessary)”
He said the legislation ought to have originated from the Ministry and have thorough stakeholder participation.
“The ICT Bill is not only archaic but totally ill-informed and backward. It’s not sponsored by the Ministry or stakeholder’s #KillTheICTBill.”
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