Traders across markets in Bungoma County are excited about government public WIFI and say they can now trade with customers within and outside the country.
According to Information, Communications and The Digital Economy CS Eliud Owalo, the government is prioritising free internet access to the public and towards this end, thousands of hotspots are being established across all counties.
The free public WIFI service in the markets is to enable business persons and the public to trade with each other through online markets.
During a KNA spot check at Chwele Market on Monday, Ben Wangila, Chairman Chwele Market, lauded the government for the initiative and said the public WIFI is exposing business people to a wide range of customers using their phones.
Wangila said that the traders are using the public WIFI to order and connect with supplies in Mwea, Kirinyaga, and Tanzania for the supply of tomatoes and onions.
“Currently we are having a shortage of onions and tomatoes and this public WIFI has come in handy to help us place orders the same from away without having to travel,” he said
Wangila said revenue collection has been made easier as traders are using the WIFI to pay revenue through a mobile app that the county developed.
“Now business people are not required to walk manually to where we are to submit revenue funds, they just log into their phones and submit through a mobile app that the county developed,” Wangila added.
He said that the Chwele market has over 7,000 business people.
Speaking at Kamukuywa,Kimilili on Monday while on an inspection tour of the county’s public WIFI sites, the Director, of programs, and standards at ICT Authority, Thomas Odhiambo, said that the authority has installed three hotspots at Bungoma town, Chwele and Kamukunywa markets.
Odhiambo says the government is also planning to lay 100,000 kilometers of optic fibre that will connect hospitals and other government offices and facilities.
By Roseland Lumwamu
