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| ICT and digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Mr Eliud Owalo |
The government has reduced its planned timeline for the delivery of internet connectivity to all parts of the country by a year.
This was revealed by ICT and digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Mr Eliud Owalo who said the delivery of internet connectivity in the country which was planned for 2027 would be realized by 2026.
The revision of the Internet connectivity timelines by the Kenya Kwanza administration has been informed by the progress made over the last one year and the important role ICT plays in its delivery of Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
CS Owalo said the nationwide internet connectivity exercise got a shot in the arm after the Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy entered into partnership with Kenya Power Company where 100 thousand kilometers of fibre optic cable will be rolled out using the existing Kenya power infrastructure instead of being laid underground.
“We changed our initial plans where we were digging to lay the fibre optic cable, we are now using the Kenya power transmission lines which means that everywhere where there is electricity, we will equally have internet” Owalo said
Speaking during the launch of two digital hubs at Bondo Technical Training Institute and Gobei secondary school in Siaya County the ICT and digital Economy Cabinet Secretary said the nationwide connectivity would accelerate up take of the government digitalized services, digital jobs and E-commerce by members of the public.
ICT and Digital Economy CS Eliud Owalo interacting with students of Bondo Technical Training Institute during the opening of Digital hub at the institution.
“Today as we speak, we have over sixteen thousand government services available on E-citizen and you can transact government business from the comfort of where you are without having to visit a government office while at the same time over 25 thousand hotspots are being set up in our markets to promote E –commerce and boost profits for our traders” Owalo said.
The CS revealed that over 200 digital hubs have already been set up in TVET and TTIs across the country while three hundred and ninety thousand youths have been trained on ICT skills.
He further disclosed that and one hundred and thirty-nine thousand digital jobs have been created in the last one year.
“The digital space is a game changer and it’s the only space where we have abundance of opportunity for our youth to exploit their full potential and as a government, we project that within the next two years we will create a minimum of 2 million jobs in the digital platforms” said Owalo.
The CS who was accompanied by Bondo Mp Dr Gideon Ochanda, former Rarieda Mp Eng. Nicholas Gumbo said the government is determined not only to establish digital hubs in institutions but is also working with local leaders to ensure that the hubs are established in every ward for the benefit of community members.
“I am happy that members of parliament have already undertaken a revision of the NG CDF Act that will allow them to set up facilities which we will deploy the devices. Our role as the government will now be to ensure connectivity, deploy devices, facilitate training and connecting the youth to jobs in the digital platforms” the CS remarked.
He urged the members of the public to demand for digital hubs from their members of their county Assemblies as the MCA are expected to work with their MP to ensure that the crucial facilities are established in their wards.
“Please demand for digital hubs from your MCAs because each of them should work with the area MP to set up one in each ward. This is for the benefit of the youth and the community at large” the CS said.
By Brian Ondeng