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:

1. is the holder of at least a bachelor’s degree in an ICT related field from a recognized university;
2. is the holder of at least a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university and has relevant ICT experience of at least three years;
3. 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;
4. 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.”

In a separate forum on Wednesday,at  IHub, Nairobi’s Innovation Hub, a forum facilitated by Mzalendo Watch to discuss the Bill, said ICT and Tech innovation is one of the few sectors where the young can learn and compete worldwide and the bill aims to cut down on the practitioners.

“The bill is too widely drafted. It is really open to challenge in infringing freedoms and rights to individuals.”

The bill zeroes in on practitioners learning& practice. It doesn’t take into account dynamism, openness available online #KillTheICTBill

— iHub (@iHub) July 6, 2016

The creativity involved in producing content& innovation in technology doesn’t need walls Our best techies are self taught #KillTheICTBill

— iHub (@iHub) July 6, 2016

ICT is crosscutting& underlying law agriculture education ICTBill implies other sectors who leverage ICT will be locked out #KillTheICTBill

— iHub (@iHub) July 6, 2016

Mr. Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology joined in the online frenzy and said they will ensure the public is involved.
“The ICT practitioners Bill will undergo stakeholder consultations. We have sufficient time to ensure it’s a multi-stakeholder Bill.”
He also clarified that the proposed bill had not originated from the ICT Ministry and does not represent the Policy Position of the Government of Kenya.

The ICT practitioners Bill will undergo stakeholder consultations. We have sufficient time to ensure its a multistakeholder Bill.

— CS Joe Mucheru (@mucheru) July 6, 2016

Private members Bill are allowed in Kenya and as such we cannot kill their Bill, we can make the necessary amendments. It’s the Constitution

— CS Joe Mucheru (@mucheru) July 6, 2016

While the Bill deals with the ICT sector, it does not originate from the ICT Ministry and does not represent the Policy Position of GoK

— CS Joe Mucheru (@mucheru) July 6, 2016