Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary, Eliud Owalo, has been selected to serve as a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Global Digital Innovation Board.
Other board members appointed include Mohamed bin Thamir, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Bahrain; Hiroshi Yoshida, Vice Minister, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan; Bosun Tijani, Minister, Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, Nigeria; Dr. Umar Saif, Minister, Ministry of Information, Technology, and Telecommunication, Pakistan; Mondli Gungubele, Minister, Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies South Africa; and Bernardo Mariano Jr., Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology, UN, among other distinguished members.
ITU has also selected 18 other members to serve on the board based on their solid track record of leadership in innovation, competence, and experience.
CS Owalo has thanked ITU for the appointment, which he noted coincides with the ongoing 2nd African Telecommunications Union (ATU) preparatory meeting for the upcoming World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly 2024 scheduled for October this year in New Delhi, India, and the 1st preparatory meeting for the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) that is happening in Nairobi.
The Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy staff has also congratulated CS Owalo for the appointment and wished him the best in his endeavours in the new capacity.
Owalo, while launching the 2nd ATU preparatory meeting for WTSA-24 on Monday, 5th, this week in Nairobi, said Kenya recognises ICTs as the driver of the digital transformation of the country’s economy.
The CS said the government lauds ATU for convening the workshop in Nairobi to ensure that Africa is not only prepared to effectively participate in WTSA-24 but also speaks with one voice at the forum.
He stated that the government has identified its key ICT priorities in various documents, including the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, to address various societal challenges, among them unemployment, poverty, and public delivery constraints.
“Our Digital Transformation Agenda also includes building a resilient infrastructure through the expansion of our broadband infrastructure, enhancing digital skills for digital jobs, and connecting our people through public Wi-Fi,” he said.
The CS added, “It will also create an enabling legal, policy, and regulatory environment for entrepreneurship while promoting innovation and securing cyberspace.”
Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU, Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, expressed confidence that, with the guidance of the Board, they will accelerate the implementation of the Kigali Action Plan under the mandate of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D).
The Digital Innovation Board is one of the vehicles of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development under ITU, aimed at accelerating the bridging of the digital innovation divide and providing support to ITU membership on their journey towards an equitable digital future for all.
The Digital Innovation Board is expected to provide strategic guidance, expertise, and advocacy regarding the initiative’s mission of building critical local enablers and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development to create a more inclusive and equitable digital future for all.
By Bernadette Khaduli
