NAIROBI, Kenya
Players in the telecommunications service industry have raised concerns over the manner in which the government is proposing to ha***e the Communications Aut**rity of Kenya’s transition out of KENIC, the dot KE domain manager. The .KE domain registry has two guarantor share**lders, the industry lobby group Telecommunications Service Providers ***ociation of Kenya (TESPOK) and Communications Aut**rity of Kenya, formerly CCK.
While lauding the move to have the regulator step down from the board of the domain manager, TESPOK says there is a need to ensure a smooth ins***utional transition and service delivery. Chairman Kris Senanu says the Communications Aut**rity of Kenya (CAK) s**uld not change the operations of the organisation wit**ut due consultations. The official proposed structure is currently open for public input and consultations; a process expected to close on 10th February 2014.
“If CAK attempts to take the commercialisation approach wit**ut due consideration of TESPOK, we w*** have no c**ice but put ICANN on notice that any attempt at re-delegation does not have the support of the industry or any of the stake**lders.” says Mr. Senanu “We have no problem with CAK proposing another government en***y to take up the government involvement but w*** not support commercialisation.”
The Internet Corporation of ***igned Names and Numbers (the ICANN), as part of the administrative functions ***ociated with management of the domain-name system root, is responsible for receiving requests for delegation and re-delegation of top-level domains, investigating the cir****tances pertinent to t**se requests, and reporting on the requests.
In May 2000, a group of Kenyan Internet stake**lders led by TESPOK launched an initiative to form a participatory, community-based non-profit organization located in Kenya to manage both the administrative and technical aspects of the .ke ccTLD registry. The result of these consultations was the Kenya Network Information Center, Limited (KENIC), organized under Kenyan law as a company limited by guarantee (a not-for-profit en***y).
In addition to performing the technical, administrative, and policy-setting functions for the .KE registry, a stated objective of KENIC is to “promote, manage and operate the delegated .KE ccTLD in the interest of the Kenyan Internet community and being mindful of the global Internet community interest in consistence with ICANN policies.”
Unfortunately, over the last five years interference of CCK, now CAK, in the day to day operations of KENIC has seen the organization experience unprecedented turnover of both Board and staff; with 5 CEO changes. The functions of KENIC have continued to be delivered because TESPOK maintained its commitment to the local industry as per the ICANN Agreement to provide technical and logistical support to the .KEmanager. It is important for CAK to give the .ke ccTLD manager the opportunity to deliver on agreed key deliverables that have not been met in the last five years.
Commercialization is not a solution to meeting the identif*** and agreed industry gaps within the local internet community. TESPOK has both the technical and administrative resources necessary to continue as a sole guarantor of the ccTLD if and when CAK pulls out. It has provided such support in the past. This w*** evidently lead to consolidating the Internet technical community shared resources under one umbrella body; a move very similar to, the consolidation of the various government agencies ha***ing government ICT deployment and implementation under the Kenya ICT Aut**rity.
The scenario would then consolidate KENIC (the .ke manager), KIXP (Africa’s fastest growing Internet Exchange Point) and I-CSIRT (Internet Computer Security ******** Response Team) under the TESPOK ste***dship.
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