The Government has reiterated its commitment to increase and fast-track broadband connectivity across the country, by constructing at least 100,000 kilometres of National Fiber Optic connectivity.
Government Spokesperson, Dr. Isaac Mwaura, said the Kenya Kwanza government aligned the Last Mile County Connectivity Project to its Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), with the aim of installing reliable, stable, affordable, and high-speed internet connectivity across the country.
“We have laid a total of 13,712 kilometers of fiber cable and increased the number of Public-Wi-Fi hot spots from 40 in 2022 to 1,222 in 2023. Cumulatively we have established a total of 1,262 Wi-Fi spots,” he stated.
Mwaura said the BETA Blue Print also seeks to enhance the government service delivery, through digitization and automation of all critical government processes, as well as make 80 percent of government services available online.
He cited the connection of 247 digital hubs with the internet, training of 800 youths under the Presidential Digital Talent Program, the deployment of 12,087 virtual desktop infrastructure devices, and 136 Jitume sites, as some the government’s achievements in the technology sector.
The Kenya Kwanza’s Flagship initiative under the Jitume Programme targets to empower over 1 million youths in the country to access reasonable and sustainable income and to provide infrastructure and over 23,000 digital devices to centres among other activities.
The Government has to date distributed at least 13,488 devices to 176 digital lab institutions.
The Spokesperson who was speaking during a media briefing at the Konza Technocity in Machakos County, added that the government has to date connected at least 119,462 youths to online jobs besides onboarding a total of 74 government services.
Mwaura announced that the government through Konza Technopolis, intends to bring together industry, academic institutions, and other innovators to co-invest in emerging technologies, noting that the Technologies platform plays a crucial role in accelerating the country’s development in the digital era.
“The Technopolis is developing a smart city of international standards. It has attracted over 85 percent of both local and international investors,” he said.
The investors are focused on academia, technology sectors, research and development in the areas of housing, hospitality, and conventions as well as in light manufacturing and logistics.
He added that the Konza Technopolis cloud is also providing cutting-edge solutions and enabling innovators, start-ups, and enterprises to reap the benefits of technology solutions’ ability to scale the marketplace, improve efficiencies, and deliver services and solutions to people.
On health, Mwaura said, the government regards the sector as one of its priority pillars for national development and to make it provide the highest attainable standards, it has employed information and communication technology to better services delivery to Kenyans.
“Technology will connect all level 6 to level 2 public health facilities to all National Backbone Fiber Infrastructure (NOFBI) and implement local Area Network (LAN),” he added.
The government has so far connected a total of 135 public health facilities to NOFBI while LAN has been implemented in 57 public hospitals.
By Bernadette Khaduli
