Today 164

Yesterday 628

All 39431171

Tuesday, 14.05.2024
eGovernment Forschung seit 2001 | eGovernment Research since 2001

KE: Kenia / Kenya

  • Kenya: Firms put on notice over high internet charges

    The government has given Internet Service Providers a stern warning: Cut your charges or risk an official price cap.

    It has slapped a March deadline on the firms to reduce costs on bandwidth and retail prices to allow more Kenyans to access the Internet.

    ISPs were paying as high as $6,000 per megabyte per month for satellite capacity before the onset of the fibre optic cables, which allow for high speed Internet, but are currently paying $200 for the same capacity in addition to maintenance costs.

  • Kenya: Government Gives Sh260 Million for IT Project

    The government has set a revolving fund of $4 million (Sh260 million) to support entrepreneurs seeking to expand their ICT businesses across the country.

    ICT centres in the digital villages initiative will offer training to the businesses so as to increase access to computers and the internet at the community level. Under the fund, managers of such centres will also be offered free training on managing the centres.

  • Kenya: Government information now online

    Government services and information can now be accessed online.

    An online portal spearheaded by Kenya ICT Board now allows users access to essential documents and Government services in the Internet.

    It also allows users to interact with Government officials.

    Launching the portal, Information PS Bitange Ndemo said it aims at disseminating vital information quickly.

    The information will now be available on the one-stop online platform: www.information.go.ke.

  • Kenya: Government Offices to Acquire Internet Access

    All Government ministries and departments will be accessed on the internet as from June this year.

    National Security minister Chris Murungaru said yesterday the ambitious programme, under which websites would be developed for each ministry and department, would cost Sh2.5 billion spread over five years.

  • Kenya: Government warns Internet providers over prices

    The government could introduce price controls for Internet services if providers do not reduce prices, it warned Tuesday.

    “The Government is very concerned that the landing of two cables has not had a profound impact on bandwidth costs and by extension on retail Internet prices.

    “This explains why the penetration of the Internet still lags behind all other ICT services. If we do not see any changes in the retail prices for the internet, the Government, through the Communications Commission of Kenya, will have to consider introducing price caps for bandwidth,” Information and Communications Assistant minister George Khaniri said.

  • Kenya: Govt eyes mobile platform

    The government will in the next three months embark on an ambitious programme to shift all its online information and services onto the mobile phone platform.

    Information Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo disclosed on Friday that they plan to start with transferring data from the Transport Ministry as they seek to further enhance service delivery.

    “The entire e-government is moving onto a mobile platform. From February, an officer at the Transport Ministry can find out whether any vehicle on Kenyan road has a road license or whether it’s stolen by simply sending an SMS (Short Message Service),” the PS said.

  • Kenya: Govt signs Kshs 838M ICT loan

    The government has signed Kshs 838 million loan with South Korea for the development of the ICT center in Athi-River.

    Speaking during the signing of the agreement, Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta said development of the ICT centre was part of the implementation of Medium term plan to be achieved by 2012 as envisioned in vision 2030.

    The loan to be repaid at a period of 30 years will earn one percent interest rate and will be used to jump start phase two of the project.

  • Kenya: Govt to deliver ID cards

    The Government has set aside 200 million shillings to facilitate the process of issuing Identification Cards to ensure that Kenyans are eligible to vote in the forth coming referendum.

    Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the Minister for Immigration Otieno Kajwang said that the funds would be spent on production of new ID cards and the delivery of ID cards to their respective applicants at the location levels.

    "We will use the Provincial Administration, which has offices countrywide at the grassroots level, to issue IDs in locations," says the minister.

  • Kenya: Govt to subsidize ICT for universities

    The government will subsidize broadband for all universities in Kenya through KENET and the ICT board in the ministry of information and communication to facilitate access to ICT.

    Minister for Information Samuel Poghisio says the government had initiated a skills building programme to create local capacity in the assembling of ICT.

    The minister who was speaking during the opening of the Kenyatta University's Students' Computer Centre said the intended capacity building would focus on products such as portable computers (PCs) to make them locally available at affordable prices.

  • Kenya: Govt to train civil servants in ICT

    The government has embarked on a countrywide campaign to get civil servants to use Information and Communications Technology in an effort to improve service delivery to citizens.

    The campaign which is being conducted by the Directorate of e-Government in the Office of the President, involves basic training on email and Internet use through the Postal Corporation of Kenya outlets in the rural areas.

  • Kenya: GPS directive ill-timed

    News that the government expects all vehicle owners in the country to instal a Global Positioning System on their vehicles by next February needs more fore-thought and scrutiny.

    Asking Kenya’s over 1.5 million vehicle owners to spend between Sh25,000 and Sh30,000 to instal the devices will imply a financial burden of around Sh37 billion being spent by consumers, assuming everyone who currently owns a vehicle does not already have a GPS device installed on their car will invest in one at market prices.

    Leaving out the monthly costs of maintaining such systems, the ensuing financial burden on consumers will be considerable.

  • Kenya: Health provider starts diagnosis by SMS

    A medical service provider has introduced an sms service to boost interaction between patients and health professionals.

    The service allows clients to seek answers to their medical problems from health professionals.

    AAR’s Phone Medical Doctor, popularly referred to as Phone MD, involves sending an sms on your mobile to 4227.

  • Kenya: How Can Kibaki Finish Graft With E-Govt?

    Without industrialising, Africa has found itself in the Information Age. For security reasons, instead of coming to Kenya physically, former New Scotland Yard Detective John Troon proposed to offer testimony at the Ouko murder inquiry via videoconferencing.

    With access to more information than any other generation before us, we can rapidly industrialise Africa. Knowledge is available globally at a fraction of what it once cost. Only the culture of crime, corruption, injustice and ignorance can now keep us from industrialising by 2025. Telkom Kenya's Internet gateway monopoly has ended and it is Kenya's time to become a knowledge-based economy.

  • Kenya: How e-governance breaks bureaucracy

    For many African governments, moves towards embracing e-governance have gone little beyond the opening of websites for state ministries and departments.

    But even where such websites exist, in many cases they contain little information of value to the public, and they do not in any fundamental way connect governments and citizens, as e-government aims to do. While information on the “who is who” in the ministry, its organisational structure and mission will often be abundantly available (though not necessarily updated), the average website will not have public service information, for instance on how to go about applying for a particular service, who the right office/ person to approach is, and where on the website to download and even electronically submit these application forms.

  • Kenya: How Far Have We Gone With Reforming the Public Sector?

    Where are we on public sector reforms? When a high powered 'Public Service Reform and Development Secretariat' (PSRDS) was launched, a whirl of initiatives ensued.

    Now at last, we thought, with Results Based Management, with Rapid Results Initiative, with programmes for culture and leadership transformation, and for institutional strengthening, we would revolutionise the delivery of public service and create a truly enabling environment for our citizens.

  • Kenya: How ICT can change local government

    ICT is considered paramount in improving the efficiency of the administration of cities countrywide. But yet so many Kenyan municipalities are grappling with poor service delivery. Municipalities should be challenged to improve the accessibility and quality of services through successful ICT implementation.

    Technology in service delivery is crucial and ICT can transform local government by promoting good governance through an increased capacity to deliver. This will allow for greater involvement on the part of residents, and even permit them to monitor what the municipality is doing. Not only does ICT assist in speeding up and improving delivery of services, it encourages transparency and accountability.

  • Kenya: How technology will make public service delivery a lot easier

    A government ministry was ranked poorly in the recent performance evaluation yet it has an enormous potential to beat everyone else. More than any other public institution, the Local Government ministry coordinates civic authorities that offer an array of services to the people.

    The city council as well as the municipal and county councils interact daily with local communities who mill around their offices looking for permits and licences as well as paying various rates and rents.

  • Kenya: ICT key to fight against corruption: Muthaura

    Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura says the solution to the corruption menace in the country lies in investing in information technology and embracing E-Government.

    In an exclusive interview with KBC Muthaura said the introduction of ICT would seal loopholes of corruption and aid in the realization of national development goals.

    The full implementation of ICT in the public service sector has been the main priority of the government with high expectations that this will help in the realization of objectives stipulated in government's development blueprint, Vision 2030.

  • Kenya: ICTs May Cut Unemployment

    Only about 25 per cent of youth are working, leaving 75 per cent to bear the burden of unemployment. Furthermore, some of those absorbed in the labour market have jobs that do not match their qualifications and personal development goals.

    With the Government evidently determined to ensure Information Communication Technology (ICT) resources are now available in the country, with prominence given to rural areas, a window of opportunity for the jobless youths seems to be beckoning.

  • Kenya: Implementation of IT Plan to Cost Sh3b

    The implementation of a comprehensive strategy on communication technology in government will cost Sh3 billion, and is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

    The implementation of the plan is in the early stages, with the first results expected to be seen by June 30 this year.

    Earlier, a tentative plan gave an estimate of Sh2.5 billion budget for the information and communication technology (ICT) initiative that was previously intended to be completed in five years.

Go to top