The implementation of information technology within key sectors of Government is instrumental in enhancing efficiency and performance. So far an estimated total of Sh23 to 26 billion has been disbursed in this respect since 2002. This includes the fibre optic cable project which started in 2005. Budgetary allocation for the sector was up more than 100 per cent to Sh7.8 billion from last year’s Sh3.6 billion.
The World Bank also contributed Sh8 billion to facilitate the fibre layout countrywide.
Much of the work has been effected under a five-year strategic plan presented to the Cabinet in 2003 by the ICT administrators. "We in the sector gave the Government a glimpse of the possibilities that existed for positive radical changes by virtue of harnessing the power of information technology," Mr Erastus Ndekele, director of ICT at the Ministry of Finance, says.
"We put in place the required infrastructure as the process got under way."
Virtually none of the ministries were ICT-enabled as recently as 2003 and the networks had to be built from scratch. The first and foremost concern was to build a core network beginning with interconnectivity within the departments and spreading out to the various ministerial headquarters.
"We started with the Local Area Network (LAN) system to first achieve internal communication links," he adds. This has been detrimental in cutting down the margin for error and the time taken to circulate vital information.
Finance minister, Mr Amos Kimunya, in this year’s Budget speech revealed that the Government will facilitate the ongoing infrastructure expansion in order to improve broadband connections to be achieved through investment in an undersea fibre optic cable, which is expected to reach completion soon, and the development of a National Fibre Optic Network. He also accorded an outlay of Sh1 million towards the East African Marine System (TEAMS) whose completion by mid-next year is expected to provide cheaper and faster Internet connectivity with the rest of the world. This is expected to significantly reduce the cost of making both local and international calls.
ICT is portrayed as a key component of realising the economic goals set out in the Vision 2030 growth manifesto.
It has facilitated the free flow of information and communication with the setting up of websites on all Government departments and thus contributed to increased investment both local and foreign. "As investors can get much of the information they need just by browsing through this sites decision making is eased," Finance Permanent Secretary, Mr Joseph Kinyua, said. Tenders are also advertised on ministries’ websites and interested parties are able to view them and keep track of the competitors. Transparency and accountability is thus boosted in this manner.
Websites such as that of the Public Service Commission (PSC) also allow the public to apply for available Government jobs online wherever they are as long as they can access the internet. It eliminates the need to come all the way to the headquarters and all one needs is to download the necessary form if required and the computer even shortlists candidates based on qualifications.
Currently, the Government ICT sector is looking at spreading its tentacles to the provinces and later to the districts within the next financial year by incorporating the Wide Area Network (WAN). "Developing this connectivity is perhaps the most important project as it is going to localie key services right down to where people are," Mr Ndekele revealed. In this respect core hub centres will be built in the villages connected through a fibre optic cable right to the headquarters in various ministries.
With this kind of development everything from issuance of identification documents to the renewal of passports will be done at the district level enabling effective resource utilisation and elimination of time wastage. "Even birth and death certificates will be issued at the district offices," he adds. This all revolves around registration of persons but much more is in store especially with the use of mobile telephony. "Soon you will even be able to pay your taxes to Kenya Revenue Authority via sms services and even make inquiries on the state of your NSSF or NHIF payments," he says.
The Immigration Department and Civil Registry under the Ministry of State for the Registration of Persons have also been undergoing an overhaul and the changes are being felt at the ground by the ordinary citizens. Mr Thomas Odhiambo, a principal ICT officer says one only has to look at the amount of time it takes to get your passport and ID ready as compared to some time back. "Although computerised systems are not solely responsible as there have been reforms in the civil service, the faster transaction processes have been a radical factor of change," says Odhiambo.
He says the Civil Registry is proving the most challenging as the absence of an electronic register has meant records and files take some time to trace. "The immediate thing we first did was to install personal computers and from last year those applying for birth and death certificates get them printed out in less than an hour."
Odhiambo affirms that they are working on having a civil registry present in every district. In fact one of the major upcoming initiatives targets the civil registry and is dubbed National Statistical Capacity Building where the Government is expected to fund the conversion of 7 million records to then create an Integrated Population Registration System (IPRS).
The area of passports has also come under a lot of consideration with features being digitised as added security measures. "Our passport has constantly been under attack as easy prey for fraudsters but with these features some of which can only be recognised by special machines meets with current international standards," he revealed.
The department of immigration plans to put in place systems not only to enhance communication flow via the Internet to the Kenyan Diaspora but also enable services like passport renewal are easily done.
Perhaps the best example of ICT improving service delivery in government which a number of citizens can attest to would be in the Education ministry. "Our interactive website services and use of short message service as well as continued implementation of e-learning have rapidly improved both the e-government initiatives and the sector outlook," Mr Barnabas Sang, the Head of ICT at the ministry, says.
Ever since the first student results for both the secondary and primary school candidates were posted on their website in 2005 on a pilot basis, the ministry is incorporating information technology on a wider scale.
Not only is it convenient to the multitude of parents and guardians within the country and in the Diaspora in terms of time and travel cost but it has also positively enhanced other areas including the selection process for secondary school placement and that of P1 teachers to the training colleges with the results also posted on the website available for view by all.
The automation process especially for the former has saved the government substantial monies. "In 2005 the exercise for both the national and provincial school selection took only a day, a far cry from the previous two week period," he says.
With the selection process in district schools also in the process of computerisation, expenditure is expected to decrease even further.
Some of the benefits brought on by ICT are now being felt and appreciated by the general public with much more in store in the near future. "Transparency and accountability are much easier to gauge in areas such as the computerised selection and placement process which minimizes human interference thus gaining in peoples confidence," he said. Also the technology is also being used in a similar exercise for the recruitment of qualified candidates for training as P1 teachers in the certified teacher training colleges and centres. Businesses too have benefited especially cyber cafes and IT oriented enterprises where the software and hardware is procured.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Gathoni Muraya
Quelle/Source: The Standard, 09.12.2007
