The Ministry of Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving its mandate of growing the ICT sector to improve the delivery of the Digital Economy and ensure a productive Nation.

ICT and the Digital Economy PS. Eng. John Tanui has pointed out that the State Department is achieving this through the laying of optic fiber cables, increasing the number of free public Wi-Fi hotspots, digitalizing citizen-facing services, and setting up Digital Hubs in all Wards countrywide.

Eng. Tanui, speaking in Naivasha at a recently passed stakeholders’ consultative workshop with the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation, said that the State Department has trained 390,968 youth on Digital skills through the Jitume Kazi Labs and Ajira programs in 2023, increasing the number from 120,000 in 2022.

“Over 119,000 youth have been connected to online jobs, a total of 800 youth trained under the Presidential Digital Talent program, in addition to connecting 247 Digital Hubs.

“We have fully-operationalized the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner with seven regional offices across the country,” said Eng. Tanui, adding that the State Department cumulatively connected 57 hospitals to the internet during the First and Second Quarters of FY 2023/2024.

The ministry has undertaken key policy reviews and investor outreach, leading to the enhancement and continued operations of the African Software Development Center, in collaboration with Microsoft and the establishment of the Amazon Web Services Development Center.