The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy is crafting its Strategic Plan (2023-2027) to ensure the ministry’s vision of an informed and empowered digital Kenyan Society is realized.
Speaking today in Nakuru after opening a strategic planning workshop of the Ministry’s Technical Committee, ICT Secretary of Administration Mohammed Jabane said that the envisioned plan would be aligned to the government agenda, Kenya Vision 2030, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other National Government priorities.
“The plan also aims at ensuring that public sector institutions adopt a value chain development framework by properly defining their strategic directions and making appropriate decisions on resource allocation towards implementation of priority policies and programmes,” said Jabane.
He noted that the Government’s major goal of transforming Kenya into a digitalized knowledge-based economy would be realized through enabling other pillars such as health, agriculture, MSME, manufacturing, education and financing as well as enhancing revenue collection.
“The Digital Economy Blue Print, which has five pillars including Digital Government, Digital Business, Infrastructure, Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship, and Digital skills and Values compels the government to leverage on technology to ensure improved service delivery across all sectors of the economy,” said the ICT Secretary of Administration.
He pointed out that the ICT sector as projected in the Kenya Vision 2030 is expected to contribute 10 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Kenyan economy.
Jabane outlined that as an enabler, ICT has contributed immensely to improvement in e-government services, e-business, e-commerce, entrepreneurship and digital skills and enhancing market competitiveness of the country’s products and services.
ICTs have impacted positively on governance and other sectors of the economy and have effectively played a key role in international and regional economic integration, improved living standards, narrowed the digital divide, as well as improved resource utilization and management.
Director of Planning in the Department of ICT Pamela Ongwae said that during the 2023-2027 Medium Term Period, the government commits to provide an enabling business environment that enhances access to information and spawns a wide range of digitally enabled startups and investments by leading multinational technology companies.
Ongwae noted that this would be driven mainly by continued expansion of the national ICT infrastructure targeting the un-served and underserved areas countrywide.
The Director of Planning, State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Joseph Wambua alluded that the ICT expansion was expected to further raise mobile phone and internet penetration contributing to employment creation through expanded media industry such as publishing in print and digital formats, Video/Film products, Streaming Media and in social media.
“Other business includes cyber cafes, mobile money and mobile banking, internet service providers among others. This will have tangible impacts on Kenya’s development and prosperity,” said Wambua.
He said the Ministry would collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to finance and ensure successful implementation of identified programmes, projects, policies, legal and institutional reforms.
By Anne Sabuni
