Information, Communications and The Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary, Eliud Owalo, has encouraged youths in Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETs), to embrace digital skills at Jitume Centres, in seeking and creating employment.
Speaking during the launch of Jitume Kazi Laboratories at Mabera and Kendege Technical and Training Institutes (TTIs) in Kuria West and Kuria East Sub-counties, Owalo said that the world was moving fast towards a digital economy; and it was equally important to equip the Kenyan youths digitally, to enable them to compete with the rest of the world.
“We want to equip our youths in high schools and colleges with digital skills, to enable them to have a competitive edge with the rest of other youths across the world,” said Owalo.
The CS said that the government will continue to equip TVETs with digital laboratories, to impart digital skills among the youth.
He also affirmed that government will support secondary schools with a priority in girls’ schools, to empower digital skills in girls.
The digital angle of the Jitume Program, has been designed to equip TVETS countrywide with 23,000 virtual desktops, with an expectation of equipping one million learners with market-ready business and ICT-related courses for free.
The CS, who also launched Free Public Wi-Fi hotspots at Ntimaru and Isebania markets in Kuria West and Kuria East, noted that the Migori business community and residents will hugely benefit in terms of e-commerce, as well as access more than 5,000 government services on e-citizen.
“The e-citizen will eliminate favouritism and corruption in terms of accessing services in government offices. The e-citizen will streamline how the government will be doing business with its citizen, to ensure that they get the quality services they seek,” noted Owalo.
He pointed out that the Free Public Wi-Fi hotspot, will help women traders, youths and the business community, to do online trade which will enable them to save time, cut on transport costs, and fasten the way business is done.
Owalo applauded the efforts the government was doing in the digital space, in helping to boost the economic status of small-scale traders.
He said that the country has a plan to place digital laboratories in all the 1,450 wards in the country, to improve the digital economy in terms of learning support, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The CS also disclosed that the government has a plan to install Free Public Wi-Fi hotspots in 25,000 markets across the country, to improve the digital economy.
So far, the government has established 240 smart village hubs, in collaboration with partners across the country, with already established 400 Public Wi-Fi hotspots in over 18 counties.
CS Owalo was accompanied by Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, Interior and National Administration PS Secretary, Raymond Omollo, PS Social Protection Joseph Motari, Members of Parliament of Kuria East, Marwa Kitayama and his counterpart Mathias Robi, from Kuria West Constituency.
By Geoffrey Makokha
