IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

"Our belief in ICT is of the magnitude that has never been seen anywhere in the world, an idea whose time has come, and when it has come, not even a mighty army can stand on it's way," said Ruto. The government is spending KSh. 53 billion in providing laptops to class 1 students, a move that has been met with strong opposition by some Kenyans while seeing others supporting the move.

Safaricom and Nairobi City County have signed a partnership to digitise the county’s services and operations.

Under the partnership, Safaricom will support the country in digitizing services to citizens and help in revenue collection with the target set at Sh18 billion annually.

Further, the telco will develop and support the “My Nairobi App” which will support citizen engagement with the county through a platform dubbed “Bonga na Sakaja”.

Speaking at the State Law offices, Attorney General Githu Muigai said the move will make E-Government a reality as Kenyans will easily access government services.

"As the country embraces a devolved system of government, and seeks to offer services through digital platforms, we are glad to be partnering with Safaricom Business for this proposition,"Githu said.

The first centre, aptly named “@iLabAfrica”, is a Centre of Excellence in ICT Innovation and Development that was officially launched this week. It was established to address the Millennium Development Goals and to contribute toward Kenya’s Vision 2030. It is an independent entity in the Faculty of Information Technology at Strathmore University.

The ongoing damaging impact of the pandemic combined with a growing number of climate-related emergencies is bringing into stark relief government’s ability to provide essential public services to vulnerable communities.

I recently visited the province of my birth, KwaZulu-Natal following the devastating floods. The desperation of the people and scale of the disaster has seen tens of thousands of displaced citizens turning to government to provide a broad range of relief measures, while damage to critical infrastructure including water supplies has prompted the President to declare a national state of disaster.

Under the programme, streetlights are installed and streets paved to enable residents to engage in business round the clock.

In Summary:

• Most shopping centre in rural areas were previously characterized by muddy streets that made it impossible for traders to sell their wares.
• Poor lighting also prompted residents to retire to their homes early due to poor security, with only bars and restaurants left to operate at night.

Kenya’s push to actualise a smart city at the Konza Technopolis has gained momentum with the roll-out of four new projects.

The projects, under its second phase, are an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and Integrated Control Centre, the establishment of a Startup Ecosystem, the development of Smart Logistics in Konza and the development of the Konza-Nairobi Corridor Transport Network.

Regional coordinator Francis Mutie said the training is important because of the role the officers will play in the implementation of the Capacity Assessment and Rationalisation of the Public Service Programme.

The identity will encompass the national ID number, PIN number, driving license number, birth certificate and passport number.Information permanent secretary Dr. Bitange Ndemo,said a Digital Economy Policy has already been drafted and is awaiting stakeholders' input.

The bond to be issued between now and 2017 will fund the extension of the national fiber optic cable by 30,000km from the current 4,200km, digitising registries in all ministries and agencies and setting up national data centers.

The bond to be issued between now and 2017 will fund the extension of the national fiber optic cable by 30,000km from the current 4,200km, digitising registries in all ministries and agencies and setting up national data centers.

This was announced yesterday at the launch of the National Broadband Strategy (NBS) that is billed as critical in the achievement of Vision 2030 and Jubilee's realisation of a digital government as contained in its manifesto.

Investors seeking loans will be required to submit a business plan and have until February 25 to apply for the funds.

The money will be disbursed through Family Bank. An investor can borrow from Sh820,000 to Sh3.3 million repayable with an annual interest rate of 11.5 per cent in three years.

Projects manager at the authority Andrew Lewela said the LTE project, to be implemented under a public private partnership framework, was a key focus of the proposed revised ICT master plan.

He said the tender was expected to be complete ''soon as possible'' to enable the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission start voter registration in readiness for the next year's general election. This statement is expected before Friday.

Officials have fast-tracked online learning as east Africa's largest economy explores the use of different technologies in order to spread their messages to a wider audience, reports Africa Science News.

Ministers have suggested that innovative use of virtual resources could increase the momentum behind tackling environmental challenges in Africa and globally.

Patients visiting Pathologists Lancet Kenya, an independent laboratory institution, will soon start using electronic cards to access and pay for treatment, just as it is done in the banking, shopping and travelling sectors.

The government will also develop an integrated health care system that will leverage on the tablet platform. The system will enable doctors exchange information on patients’ analysis and also enable the patient access their reports online. The PS was speaking duringthe launch of Samsung's new tablet, the Galaxy Note.The Korean manufacturing giant might be contracted to provide thegadgets. He did not disclose how much the government will invest in thisproject.

The city has invested more than Sh 25 billion in infrastructure and development

Summary

• The license classifies Tatu Telecom Company, the trading entity, as a Network Facilities Provider (NFP) Tier 2 and Application Service Provider (ASP).
• Businesses in Tatu are also exempted from import duty and enjoy zero-rated VAT, among other business-friendly benefits.

Tatu City has received its telecom operating license to provide internet service to businesses and residents in and around the 5,000-acre.

The rapid growth in technology presents Kenya with an opportunity to become a middle-income knowledge economy, CS Joe Mucheru has said.

He said more than one billion electronic devices will be bought by Kenyans in the next few years. Mucheru urged young people to take advantage of this market.

“The digital market in Africa will have half-a-billion people in the next five years. We must take advantage of this,” he said.

World Bank Lead Health Specialist Khama Rogo said with technological advancements, provision of healthcare no longer required direct contact between a doctor and patient.

He told Capital FM News that advancing E-health could also be used to bridge the gap of health workers and bring down the cost of healthcare.

“Technology has now made it possible for people to interact without seeing each other or being in the same room. The health sector offers some opportunities where that can happen and technology now makes it possible for us to get the best possible advice or even treatment for somebody who is not in the same room with you or information,” Rogo noted.