Plans to develop 1,450 ICT hubs for citizen digital literacy training, film production and public access to government services in all wards across Kenya will commence in 2024, the government has announced.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said on Thursday that the hubs will help develop the grassroots ICT sector which is vital in setting a stronger foundation for ICT-related development and the digital economy.
“I can assure you that come the new year, you will not be seeing us in the offices. We shall be out there in the field rolling out the 1,450 digital hubs,’’ he said.
‘’With all government services available on the e-citizen platform and in consideration that we are out there training youth at the village level, we are determined to attain our digital economy dream,” he added.
The government first announced these plans last year. The recommendations to build the hubs are contained in Kenya’s Digital Masterplan 2022-2032 which guides the structured delivery of ICT infrastructure, services, and the development of skills. It also gives a 10-year roadmap to the country on ICT initiatives to guide investors while planning their priorities. It identifies 19 flagship projects, that the government will focus on, to accelerate the digital transformation of the country.
“Imagine at one digital hub, we are capable of creating 300 digital jobs. In a constituency that has an average of five wards, we are capable of creating 1,500 youths in the village. As much as these hubs will be domiciled in the village, the youth there shall be working with both national and international firms,” CS Owalo added.
He said the government was committed to delivering on the project to position Kenya effectively as the ICT hub of Africa.
The CS was speaking during the commemoration of ICT Authority’s 10th-anniversary event in Nairobi. ICT and the Digital Economy PS. Eng. John Tanui who was also present at the event indicated that looking at the milestones attained in the last 10 years, 93 per cent of this country is ready to be part of a data hub for this continent and the ICT hubs will play a key role in driving the industry ahead.
“We are well positioned in terms of connectivity and we need to drive our industry. We are confident that through the ICT Authority, we will do this and make the country proud,” said PS, Eng. Tanui.
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