The President, who was opening Safaricom House in Westlands, Nairobi, said the ministries should start the automation process which is aimed at reducing transaction costs.
President Kibaki said the Government had liberalised the telecommunications sector and Kenyans expected to reap the benefits.
He urged the private sector to invest in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), saying there was vast investment potential in the sector, particularly in the rural areas.
“I encourage mobile phone operators to deploy new technologies in rural areas in order to increase accessibility to the internet. In particular, wireless broadband has both the potential and capacity of providing communications connectivity to schools, Government offices and other rural-based organisations,” he said.
Reacting to the message, Information and Communication minister Mutahi Kagwe said the ministry officials would work out the formalities of implementing the presidential directive.
He said the harmonisation of the functions of e-government and the Ministry of Information and Communication had not been effective, adding that with the President directive, this would change.
“With the presidential directive, the ministry is duty bound to build data banks. This is a huge Government project that has far-reaching implications,” he said.
Among those to reap from the directive, he said, were the youth who would be hired to implement the project.
“We shall out-source the services of implementing the project and the youth will be absorbed in the new job opportunities.
Kagwe said idea of using computers would improve the delivery of services and remove links of corruption in the civil service.
He said there were some saboteurs within the civil service who are likely to resist implementation of the project for fear of losing out when the corruption links are severed.
Autor/Author: Mwaniki Wahome
Quelle/Source: Kenya Times, 25.06.2006
