News

What you need to know about Joseph Mucheru, New ICT Cabinet Secretary


Joseph Mucheru MBS, is the current Kenyan Cabinet Secretary nominee for ICT. The ICT docket was initially headed by Dr. Fred Matiang’I who was moved to head the Ministry of Education.

Mr. Mucheru was formerly the Google “Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ambassador” as well as Country Manager Kenya, based in Nairobi. He joined Google in June 2007 where he leads the delivery of strategy, business planning, and operations.

Before joining Google Joseph Mucheru worked at Wananchi Online, a company he co-founded in 1999. He held various roles at the company including Chief Technology Officer, Strategy & Business Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Born in Kamerethu within Limuru Constituency, Joseph Mucheru attended Nairobi Primary School and later on joined Lenana School and thereafter he proceeded to the UK to study at London’s City University.He also attended The Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University in 2008.

He was awarded the Moran of the order of the burning spear in December 2010 by the then President of the Republic of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki.

He is a current Board Member of UAP Investments Limited, BitPesa Limited, Give Directly and afb who are all in the financial technology space ranging from Insurance, BitCoins, innovative charity giving to unsecured lending all using data and mobile technologies. He is also on the Mpesa Foundation Academy Advisory Board.

He is a member of Africa Leadership Network, The National Prayer Breakfast, and the East African Business Summit.

If his vetting process by the parliament committee goes through, Mr. Mucheru will be tasked with a heavy task of foreseeing ICT projects are accomplished, including strengthening the broadband footprints, digital migration as well as the PDTP Programme among other tasks in the country, as he sits at the helm of the Ministry of ICT.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of ICT has been divided into two, with two Principal Secretaries, who will oversee ICT & Innovation as well as Broadcasting and Telecommunications

Eng. Victor Kyalo has been nominated as the new Principal Secretary Ministry of ICT & Innovation. Prior to becoming the PS, Eng. Kyalo was the CEO of ICT Authority in Kenya. Prior to this, he was the Deputy CEO/Programmes Manager at the Kenya ICT Board with a focus on the implementation of core communication infrastructure and e-services in different sectors of the economy.

Among the notable projects he was involved in include; leadership of the Kenya TCIP world Bank funded project; the Project Manager/Engineer for the East African Marine System (TEAMS), rollout and operationalization of the National Optical Fibre Backbone Initiative (NOFBI) as well as a Neutral National Data Center initiative (NNDC).

Eng. Kyalo holds a Msc. Electronics (Eindhoven University), BSc. Electrical Engineering 1st Class (University of Nairobi), Currently pursuing Msc. Economics (University of Nairobi). He is a Registered Engineer (Kenya), a Member of IEEE and a member of PMI.

On the other hand, Mr. Sammy Itemere has been nominated as the new Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary under the Ministry of ICT.

Prior to the nomination, Mr. Sammy Itemere served as the Managing Director on the Board of Equatorial Commercial Bank and was appointed on 12 April 2013. Mr. Itemere is a seasoned banker with a career spanning over 20 years both locally and regionally. He has a wealth of diverse experience in Retail and Enterprise banking segments and has worked for Barclays Bank, KCB Kenya and South Sudan, Credit Bank and lastly Imperial Bank. Mr. Itemere holds a BA in Economics and an MBA (Marketing) both from the University of Pune.

Follow us on TelegramTwitterFacebook or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates.

Facebook Comments

REGISTER NOW

Nixon Kanali

Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to nkanali@techtrendske.co.ke.

Have anything to add to this article? Leave us a comment below

Back to top button