How we’re making Kenya a digital leader in Africa – ICT ministry

By Moses Muli

Published: April 15,2024 11:13 AM(EAT)

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy is working to ensure that Kenya is positioned as the digital leader in Africa.

Speaking during a breakfast briefing on the upcoming Connected Africa Summit 2024, ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui said the summit will focus on conversations on digital platforms that are African, issues of cyber security and data security.

The summit will also focus on how to support start-ups in different areas, how to connect private sector with the whole world and how to create synergy, between the media, and between the private sectors.

He added that leading industry players such as Safaricom and Huawei will be participating in the event.

“We will showcase our digital connectivity, have talks on among other things powering smart governments,” he said.

Among other topics of discussion will be bridging the digital divide and bringing services closer to the people, with media as a partner is their focus.

At the same time, CEO of ICT Authority Stanley Kamau reiterated that they are focusing on first ensuring total connectivity to the country.

Noting that some areas still lack stable and fast internet as others thrive in it, he regretted that there has been a “huge disparity” adding that will be dealt with.

“We want to position Kenya as the digital leader in Africa. Only five percent of people are connected to fixed internet in Africa,” he said on Monday during the event held at The Sarova Stanley Hotel.

Acknowledging the role of the Connected Summit to ICT, Kamau noted that it gave rise to Huduma centers and E-citizen.

He said this year’s event will focus on digital trade, on how Africa can establish its digital trades without even relying on foreign currency.

It will also focus on digital skilling and future of work, and emerging tech including AI.

Connected Africa Summit 2024 will be held at the iconic Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi from April 21 to 25.

The Summit will serve as a strategic forum to chart a course towards a digitally empowered and interconnected future for Africa, setting the stage for unprecedented growth and prosperity as well.

The Connected Summits started in 2009 and this year will be the 13th of such events.

The theme for this year is ‘Kenya’s Vision for the ICT’.

Kenya was chosen as a host to help promote the country as a leader of digital space and investment in Africa, to promote local companies and entrepreneurs to the rest of the continent to enable them to expand footprint beyond the region and to attract technology investment to Kenya including the semiconductor industry and the data Centre.

It will also allow Kenya to spur economic growth in other sectors such as hospitality and tourism and showcase technologies accelerating digital transformation.