IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) now wants Government to introduce safeguards that will guarantee privacy. The requirement that all SIM cards be registered for the identification of phone users, Kemri says poses new challenges with regard to maintaining anonymity of research subjects.

Addressing the 51st graduation ceremony of Igoji Teachers College in South Imenti, the Director of Quality Assurance Mohamhed Mwinyipembe said the new system will help provide quality education and spur rapid economic development.

Germany, the European Union and Estonia launched the Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) to make Kenya’s digital transformation work for people and businesses.

The centre was launched together with implementing partner Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GiZ) and the Government of Kenya, with Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy Eliud Owalo, and the chairpersons of the National Assembly and Senate ICT Committees.

Speaking at the Nyeri assembly during the state of the county address on Thursday, Gachagua said ICT is the “engine of modern life” and his government is investing in automation of service delivery beginning with revenue collection. “We are also establishing an ICT master plan and have signed an MoU with Jamii Telecoms to connect key institutions including the county referral hospital, town hall, central police, the county assembly and block C in the provincial headquarters to enhance connectivity and smooth flow of information,” he said.

Resident Associations are made up of professionals and talents with the capacity to drive Nairobi's transformation into a modern, smart city.

The government has been urged to collaborate with Resident Associations (RAs) to digitize operations and services as part of efforts to transform Nairobi into a smart, 24-hour economy city.

Jubilee Holdings Ltd Group CEO Julius Kipng’etich emphasized that Resident Associations are made up of professionals and talents with the capacity to drive Nairobi’s transformation into a modern, smart city.

The Kenya government is partnering with stakeholders in order to ensure that the present digital divide among the urban and rural poor does not extend further.

This follows the realization that a computer literate workforce is key to the achievement of the economic blue print, Vision 2030.

The government has launched a biometric registration exercise for members of the civil services and disciplined services medical scheme.

In the scheme which will also include their eligible dependants, all of them will be able to benefit from air rescue services, which was formally a preserve of the disciplined services.

With 34 out of the 47 counties so far covered by the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure,it is exploring use of wireless technology to reach the furthest parts of the country. "E-government must be in place before the new counties are in place," The PS for Information and Communication, Bitange Ndemo said. "We have until December to have connectivity in all counties". Though Telkom Kenya is still managing the cable on behalf of government, Ndemo said the infrastructure will be shared with Kenya Power and other private sector providers for deeper connection.

The Principal Secretary in the ministry Belio Kipsang said the qualified companies are expected to make the devices available for use by January next year for all pupils joining class one. Kipsang said on the phone there is demand for an estimated 1 to 1.3 million laptops saying he would confirm the exact figure next week.

China is one of the major donors whose cumulative official development assistance to date amounts to Sh109.43 billion.

Early this month the Government signed a loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China amounting to Sh31 billion for the Olkaria Geothermal Field Production Wells Drilling and Supply of Drilling materials project.

Speaking to Africa Science News(ASNS) in Busia, the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Ababu Namwamba revealed that the Ministry has set aside money to ensure that the youth polytechnics are well equipped with learning and co-curriculum activities materials.

The Minister said Busia youth polytechnic is slated to receive Ksh. 10 million for the upgrading of an ICT department to enable students get ICT skills.

One of the key promises by the Kenya Kwanza administration was to transform provision of services by leveraging technology. Well, the promise is on course with ongoing implementation of the Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032 which underpins the country’s digital plans.

The ambitious plan centres around five pillars; digital services and data management, digital skills, digital entrepreneurship, and effective alignment to policy, legal, and regulatory frameworks. The ultimate aim of the project is to enable the government to deploy technology to improve public services by digitising government records and services while fostering an innovation and entrepreneurship culture. Going digital will be a game-changer in transforming the economy, creation of the much needed jobs and in driving financial and economic inclusion.

Treasury permanent secretary Joseph Kinyua says the concessional loan will help the government in connecting all government departments electronically.

The funds will go to the government owned national optic fiber-backbone infrastructure to help link all government services on the internet.

The digital and the creative economy was among the gainers in the 2023/24 budget.

While presenting the 2023/24 budget, National Treasury CS Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u said the digital super highway will play a critical role in enabling the government realize its objectives of the bottom up economic transformation agenda as well as enhancing revenue collection via automation of VAT systems.

Rotary Club of Emsdetten (Germany) President Thomas Hovekamp said ICT has become an integral component in solving contemporary problems.

He emphasised the need for education stakeholders and policy makers to ensure students are equipped with necessary ICT skills relevant to the job market.

Resident associations have the potential to transform Nairobi into a modern and smart city. Jubilee Holdings Ltd Group CEO Julius Kipng’etich said associations play a critical role in the city’s development, urging them to leverage their talents for urban renewal.

“You have the capability to transform the metropolitan into a smart city full of modern comforts. Let us use the talents in our resident associations to restore the glory of the city,” Dr Kipng’etich said.

The move will help institutions share resources and improve on the quality of research.

The Ministry of Higher Education said it is working with the Kenya Education Network, which is the National Research and Education Network that promotes the use of ICT in teaching, learning and research in higher education institutions. The partneship will help lay groundwork for the next year’s project aimed at connecting 48 technical institutions.

Speaking in Mombasa during the commissioning of an EMR system at the Port Reitz hospital, health cabinet secretary, James Macharia said ICT is the backbone for economic growth in the world.

“The ministry is making out major strides in the realization of a digital world. We have planned to set up fully functional data centre, implementing of district health information system and health workforce system,” he said.

In Summary

• Konza is connected to Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city and the main port of entry into East Africa, by the A109 highway.
• The highway also connects Konza City to Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Nairobi is often called ‘the green city in the sun’. The capital boasts of being a city that combines a rich legacy of culture, scenic beauty, and innovative urban development.