The KEPSA ICT Sector Board held a Ministerial Stakeholders Forum (MSF) with the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and Digital Economy Hon. Eliud Owalo on 1^st December 2022 in the Ministry offices at Telposter Towers in Nairobi. The Sector Board was led by its Chair Mr Ben Roberts (virtually) together with the Vice-Chair Mr Brian Omwenga as well as KEPSA Head of Public-Private Dialogue (PDD) Ms Agatha Juma and Project Director, Ajira Digital Program and Youth Employment at KEPSA Dr Ehud Gachugu. The hybrid meeting was attended by some members of the sector board both physically at the Ministry offices and virtually.

Ms Agatha Juma congratulated the Cabinet Secretary for his appointment and introduced KEPSA in her opening remarks. She recognized the importance of Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy in achieving the aspirations of the Government and the private sector of economic development and growth.

In his remarks, the Cabinet Secretary stated that the economic blueprint of Kenya is anchored around the Kenya Kwanza Government Manifesto. He confirmed that the Government through his ministry is focused on using ICT to create and catalyse jobs and reduce the cost of business and living.   He went on to say that the just-launched Hustlers Fund of Kshs 50 billion with an 8% interest rate is leveraging on technology to provide access to credit to millions of Kenyans at the bottom of the economic pyramid.  

The Cabinet Secretary confirmed that the government will establish 250,000 housing units which will create a ready market for the Juakali sector. He said the adoption of technology will enhance the quality of the housing inputs and final product. To ensure access to ICT across the country, the Cabinet Secretary noted that the Government will build an additional 100,000 KM of fibre optic cable. This digital superhighway will facilitate the digitization of government services and enhance access to Government services.  

Hon. Owalo told the meeting that the Government plans to digitize 450,000 government services. Currently, he said, 3,500 government services are digitized through the e-citizen platform. The Cabinet Secretary also stated that his ministry will work with different government ministries and agencies to create a paperless government. He highlighted the potential of technology to increase revenue collection broaden the tax base and seal tax leakage loopholes at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). He went on to say that the government will enhance the level of ICT literacy and that it will establish nearly 200 E-commerce (free WIFI hotspots) around the city and 25,000 digital hotspots all over the city.

To facilitate access and use of ICT, the Government through Konza Technopolis will partner with investors to manufacture ICT software and affordable smartphones. Konza will be used to position Kenya as a tech hub.  The Cabinet Secretary further stated that, through the creative economy, the government will use ICT technology to create digital and digitally-enabled jobs and that the government will figure out a way to digitize e-commerce. Hon. Owalo called on the Private sector to partner with the government to achieve its ICT-related plans and aspirations.

Mr Brian Omwenga echoed the efforts that the ministry is undertaking to ensure that there is a conducive business environment as well as pushing for an open government that will ensure integration into business processes. He assured the Cabinet Secretary that the sector board has robust and mutually beneficial engagement with the ministry. He reiterated the private sector's commitment to supporting the government to implement ICT-related programs and activities.  

In response to the concerns raised by the private’s sector, on the digital economy blueprint, the Cabinet Secretary said that the private sector and government partnerships will work at the county level within the digital space, digital superhighway and digitization. He went ahead to note that the digital superhighway will be facilitated by the government’s digital master plan. On the digital entrepreneurship issue, Hon. Owalo responded by saying that the government will organize for the private sector to meet with KONZA and assign specific areas of partnerships with the private sector.

On digitization, the Cabinet Secretary noted that his ministry will take control and support the Ministry of Lands in the digitization of land records and also target KRA to enhance revenue collection and increase the tax base. He added that the ministry will target e-transport to ensure there are cameras in place to monitor traffic and reserve border space through the immigration department with technology as a matter of urgency. He also said that the government can and will digitize up to 80% of government services and ensure that government is 100% paperless.

The forum was also attended by CEO/Communications Secretary at the National Communications Secretariat (NCS) Eng.  Daniel Obam, Director of ICT Mr Hesbon Malweyi and Strategic Communication Advisor to the Ministry Dr Barrack Muluka.