One of the key promises made by the Kenya Kwanza administration was to transform the provision of services by leveraging technology. That promise is on course with the ongoing implementation of the Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032 which underpins the country’s digital plans.
This ambitious plan centers around five pillars; digital services and data management, digital skills, digital entrepreneurship, and effective alignment to policy, legal, and regulatory frameworks. The project’s primary aim is to enable the government to deploy technology to improve public services by digitizing government records and services while fostering an innovative and entrepreneurial culture. Going digital will be a game-changer in transforming the economy, creating much-needed jobs, and driving financial and economic inclusion.
In a revolutionary move, 5,000 services are now accessible through the e-Citizen portal. The president set the pace by quickly making the Cabinet office and meetings digital to foster efficiency and effectiveness. Now this shift to a paperless government will only gather momentum from here.
As part of the plan to attain efficiency in rendering public service, the government also plans to implement the national digital identity, which will converge all crucial identification documents through a national integrated identity management system.
Among the biggest challenges that Kenya is grappling with today is the lack of employment, especially among our youthful population. Joblessness is one of the top crises facing our country. However, it inspires hope that the government is making severe and deliberate interventions in a bid to address this challenge.
The government has identified technology as the centerpiece of its plans aimed at fostering job creation. This explains why the Kenya Kwanza administration is focusing on projects such as digital superhighway, Konza Technopolis, digital hubs inwards, and free Wi-Fi in markets and trading centers.
Konza has made admirable progress that has been inching closer to being a reality. Besides generating thousands of jobs, the intelligent city, alongside other digital initiatives will cement Kenya’s profile as a Silicon Savannah.
The projects that are currently ongoing in Konza are an Intelligent Transport System and Integrated Control Centre, the establishment of a Startup Ecosystem, and the development of Smart Logistics.
The government has also allocated Sh5.74 billion towards the construction of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, a digital university domiciled within the Konza Technopolis.
The university will be in charge of training and producing graduates of science, technology, and innovation as part of the government’s interventions to drive digital transformation through skills enhancement. Under the country’s digital master plan, Konza is also tasked with driving the promotion of cloud services and data management.
The setting up of digital hubs in all the 1,450 wards across the country will bring massive benefits once they are fully implemented. These hubs will not only be instrumental in the provision of digitized government services, but they will also enable innovative youths to tap the rapidly growing global e-commerce and digital economy for jobs and to boost their enterprises.
Besides the provision of high-speed internet connection, the hubs are designed to offer cutting-edge technical facilities and services which include meeting rooms, event and training spaces. Entrepreneurs and small businesses will also be able to interact and network which will help in sharing ideas and insights regarding their respective sectors. With such features, the centers have a huge potential to turn the tide of widespread unemployment in the country.
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