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The government will in due course instal at least 1,450 digital laboratories with fibre optic installations around the country, ICT CS Eliud Owalo has said.
“The digital laboratory is a program within the Kenya Kwanza administration. We are establishing and operationalizing 1,450 digital laboratories to ensure that there is one in at least one ward,” he said.
The launch of the said digital hubs will be followed by the installation of fibre optic cables and free Wi-Fi hotspots to ensure reliable and stable internet connectivity.
“We want to ensure fibre connectivity in each part of this country by installing fibre optic cables and free WiFi hotspots,” the CS said.
He spoke on Saturday when he presided over the launch of a digital laboratory at Ng’iya Girls National School in Alego Usonga before proceeding to Lwak Girls High School in Rarieda where he launched another one.
For the start, Owalo said, the ministry is targeting learning institutions such as high schools and Technical and Vocational Education Training Centers.
This, he said, is a deliberate effort by the President William Ruto-led government to give digital skills to its populace to make the citizenry more competent for the new world order.
“You cannot survive in the world today without digital skills. Progressively, we will introduce you to digital jobs so that you can earn money by working from your computers,” Owalo said.
He said the government will soon go paperless and encouraged the students to urgently acquire digital literacy skills, to access services on the e-citizen platform.
He also said the recent cyber attack has been resolved and that the government has put strategies to make the only space very secure.
Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol who accompanied the CS urged the students to acquire computer skills.
“The future is digital and data is the new oil. Make sure you learn programming, coding and automation,” he said.
He thanked the national government for investing in the students, adding that the future world of work requires digital literacy.
CS Owallo was flanked by his Labour counterpart Florance Bore, MPs Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Caroli Omondi (Suba South) and former Senator Elizabeth Ongoro among others.