Prof Muliaro Wafula PhD. FCCS,FCSK (Director ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data –iCEOD, JKUAT) at the Forum on Open Data and Open Science in Agriculture on 15th June 2015

1. KALRO (KAINET) OPEN DATA AND OPEN SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
JACARANDA HOTEL, WESTLANDS, 15TH
TO 18TH
JUNE 2015
Prof Muliaro Wafula PhD. FCCS,FCSKProf Muliaro Wafula PhD. FCCS,FCSK
Director ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data –iCEODDirector ICT Centre of Excellence and Open Data –iCEOD
JKUATJKUAT
E-mail: director.iceod@jkuat.ac.keE-mail: director.iceod@jkuat.ac.ke
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2. •Data is the 21st century’s new raw
material
•Its the new Oil. Just like oil, in its raw
form, has little value. But once processed
and refined, it helps power the world.
What is “Big Data”?
– Large volumes
– Valuable insight, but difficult to extract
– May be extremely time sensitive
Big data technologies are now available . This
are technologies and architectures, designed to
economically extract value from very large
volumes of a wide variety of data, by enabling
high velocity capture, discovery and/or analysis.
DATA
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3. What is Open Data?
• data that is publicly available and structured in a
way that enables it to be fully discoverable,
accessible, complete, timely and useable by end
users.
• Championing for open data means seeking to
realize better quality, reliability, management and
accessibility of data of importance to all fields of
science and technology.
• We need open Data polices developed and
implemented.
Open Data
…set data free
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4. Open Data Global Ranking
• According to the Open Data Barometer
report of 2013
http://www.opendataresearch.org/dl/od
b2013/Open-Data-Barometer-2013-
Global-Report.pdf, the UK was ranked the
most advanced country for open data
readiness, implementation and impact,
scoring above the USA (2nd), Sweden
(3rd), New Zealand (4th), Denmark and
Norway (joint 5th).
• Kenya was the leading developing
country ranked (22st), higher than
Ireland (29th) and Belgium (31st).
• KAINET Open Data and Open Science
workshop is timely and a major
contributor towards improving Kenya's
open data ranking
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5. JKUAT Support for Open Data
1. JKUAT co-hosted the International Workshop on Open Data for Science and Sustainability
in Developing Countries last year 2014.
2. Acting on the recommendations and resolutions of the workshop, JKUAT has established a
special vehicle for advancing open data interest in science and technology called the ICT
Centre of Excellence and Open Data -iCEOD. Link
http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/directorates/iceod/
3. JKUAT is seeking partners to build Open Data Infrastructure at iCEOD with Capacity to
ensure storage and publication of data in desired format with digital preservation
capability.
4. JKUAT joined the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) in 2014 and is
the official representative of Kenya.
5. JKUAT has taken a major step towards creating an enabling environment for open data by
drafting an Open Data Research Policy in line with the Nairobi Open Data Principles and
the newly released CODATA Strategy 2013-2018.
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6. Capacity Building for Big and Open
Data Era
1. Reviewed data management courses in Computer Sc. and IT
courses
2. Currently teaching Business and Data Analytics as part of
coursework for PhD IT students.
3. Developing MSc in Data Science targeting September this
year for launch. Partners/sponsors welcomed to join create
much needed capacity for managing the Big and Open data
in support to researchers and publishers.
4. Offering professional training and certification in partnership
with IBM in Data Management, Business/Data Analytics,
Cyber Security, Cloud Technologies, and Mobile Application
Development 6

7. Open Data Challenges
1. Five years after the new constitution was promulgated, public
institutions have not opened their information.
• Access to information is enshrined in the bill of rights in
Kenya, but not yet institutionalized in law.
• A draft bill is still pending in parliament but the need for an
Access to Information Law to action the above constitutional
right is necessary to adequately support the advocacy for
open data and science in Kenya.
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8. Open Data Challenges…2
2. The public is not adequately sensitized on open data.
3. The tradition and culture of the Kenyan government has
been to keep data private by default.
• A deliberate strategy need to be taken to change this
mindset of public institutions.
• Innovation of suitable applications needed to increase
transparency, access and usage of open data
• iCEOD is working on innovating simpler ways to access
information and data that is open.
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9. Way Forward
• We need to explore how opening data can unlock latent
value, stimulate innovation and increase transparency and
accountability.
• For instance, by utilizing the capacity we are building in
Business and Data analytics, KAINet),(KALRO), (MoA-AIRC),
(KEFRI), and (FAO), can be enabled to gain deeper insight
of their data if made available in open data format.
• Let us make data free to end user as much as possible.
• We acknowledge that it cost to get data into desired formats.
• Open Data Champions must be willing to spare some funds
towards making this possible.
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10. Thank You!