- As I mentioned in my last post, it would be good for us to have a tool to chronicle the incidents of violence happening around Kenya. That is the basic premise behind a new site that was quickly scratched together by a couple of us this weekend. Ushahidi.com is a tool for people who witness acts of violence in Kenya in these post-election times. You can report the incident that you have seen, and it will appear on a map-based view for others to see. Ory and Daudi are working with local Kenyan NGO’s to get information and to verify each incident. What you can do is get the word out about Ushahidi so that it’s utilized to it’s full potential. This especially exten…

- While blogging, emails, Twitter and the internet are doing a great deal of good getting the news out of what's going on in Kenya to the rest of the world, I find myself troubled. You see, the communication that needs to be happening is at the grassroots level. Everyday Kenyans do not have access to any of these services. Let's put our minds and capabilities towards solving real problems for people beyond the technologically elite. Take the current state of affairs in Kenya as an example. With every problem comes an opportunity. In this case, we're talking about finding a way to open up better communications to not just the African digerati and blogosphere, but the ever…

- Kenya is going through it’s second major election cycle. It has been 5 years since Mwai Kibaki was elected and Kenya is facing a test: can it have another free and fair election? December 27th (tomorrow) is the big day. I’ve been particularly impressed with the AfricaNews.com media group. They use technology in innovative ways, creating real usable systems to report and connect with Africans on multiple platforms. In the case of the Kenyan 2007 Elections, in partnership with the Arid Lands Information Network, they have created a site where mobile reporters from around the country bring news about the elections. SMS Polling Media Focus on Development have created a ful…

- Dvorak has written a scathing criticism about the OLPC ($100 laptop). Bill Thompson answers it in a BBC article: “And he demeans the people who will receive the computers, asking his readers if they will feel “better about the world’s problems, knowing that some poor tribesman’s child has a laptop”, apparently contrasting a “tribesman” with a real person like himself, safe in his Western affluence.” Who cares? Why does it matter that two rich Westerners are batting back and forth over the strategies and benefits of a cheap computer for children in developing countries? As someone who grew up in Sudan and Kenya, I care. I care becaus…