The Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG) held an online student induction program for its newly enrolled 9th cohort on Friday.

The program, hosted on a webinar platform, welcomed students from various stakeholder groups, including the Kenyan judiciary, government, media, academia, and the private sector.

About KeSIG

KeSIG is an introductory course designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to participate meaningfully in local, regional, and global Internet policy discussions.

The curriculum covers the technical, economic, legal, and social aspects of Internet governance and how these issues affect Kenyans.

KeSIG aims to build a critical mass of individuals who can advocate for internet rights and freedoms. The program equips participants with the necessary skills to engage in policy discourse and contribute to shaping a more inclusive and equitable internet.

Student Introductions and Expectations

A section of the incoming students shared a range of interests and expectations from the program. From gaining a foundational understanding of the Internet and its governance, the impact of Internet governance on daily life and professions.

Others expressed interest in networking with colleagues from diverse backgrounds while others said they would use the program to explore career opportunities in internet governance and related fields while others would want to deepen their knowledge of specific areas like data protection and artificial intelligence.

“I’m currently doing research. I’m interested in human rights practice and I’m equally interested in learning about digital rights, data protection, privacy, and artificial intelligence. So when I saw this opportunity, I decided to join so that at least I can have a foundation and Mark my path as I go,” said Cynthia Otieno.

“We keep using this (the internet) tool but we don’t know what the governance is around it and cybersecurity has become the inthing right now. So it’s about time I sell what I can also understand that I know what regulations fall around it. I’m also very interested in networking and learning from everyone else,” Laura Wamunyu, Business Development, at Alletec.

‘I hope that I’m going to learn more about digitalization because right now peace is working towards digitalizing everything,” Immaculate Onyango, from the Ministry of Interior under the state Department of Peace Building and Conflict Management(NSC-PBCM).

“I mostly do research around artificial intelligence and data protection and generally tech policy. My expectations for this, program are: Do we just better understand the internet? Like, you know, what is the internet? How does it work? And then also, you know, of course, the government’s implications,” says Susan Otieno, an independent researcher and a legal professional.

Welcome Remarks

Rosemary Kimwatu, KICTANet Trustee on behalf of Dr Grace Githaiga the CEO, addressed the new cohort. She emphasised the importance of Internet governance in everyday life and its impact on various professions.

“Even your day-to-day jobs. Whether you like it or not, you’re using technology for one thing or another and an understanding of this core concept [internet governance] can awaken you to different ways of looking at things,” said Kimwatu highlighting the pervasiveness of technology in our lives and the importance of understanding internet governance for everyone.

“So we are doing this to build a critical mass of people who can speak to the issues that impact your work, that impact your day-to-day lives… You can make informed decisions on internet governance issues.”

Kimwatu highlighted the program’s role in:

1. Building a critical mass of informed participants who can influence policy.
2. Equipping students with the skills to contribute meaningfully to internet governance discussions.
3. Providing networking opportunities and fostering connections within the internet governance space.
4. Creating a platform for knowledge exchange, allowing experienced practitioners to learn about emerging issues from students.

She also revealed the impact of KeSIG on its alumni and how it has helped graduates advance their careers in the field of Internet governance.

“We have an amazing alumni of students who have been able to progress towards advancing their careers in ways in which internet governance becomes their day-to-day work.”

Background on KeSIG and KICTANet

KeSIG is convened by KICTANet, a multi-stakeholder platform for organizations and individuals involved in ICT policy and regulation.

KeSIG coincides with the Kenya Internet Governance Forum (KeIGF), an annual event bringing together various stakeholders to discuss Internet policy issues.