Nairobi: The National Treasury has engaged the public in unveiling the 2025/2026 – 2027/2028 Final Year and Medium-Term Budget, aiming to sensitize the populace on the milestones achieved and future projections of the government. During the second day of the National Treasury and Economic Planning Public Sector Hearings for the FY 2025/26 and the Medium-Term Budget held in Nairobi, the Principal Secretary (PS) for ICT and the Digital Economy, Eng. John Tanui, announced significant advancements achieved by the ministry in the previous financial year.
According to Kenya News Agency, Eng. Tanui revealed that the government has successfully completed the construction of the Konza National Data Centre. In the digital economy subsector, the ministry has provided internet connectivity to 7,066 public institutions, including hospitals, and installed 1,491 public Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide. Furthermore, a fiber network spanning 13,129 kilometers has been laid, and 17,668 government services have been onboarded to the
E-citizen portal. The ministry has also recruited and trained 1,200 ICT interns under the Presidential Digital Talent Program (PDTP).
In the Broadcasting and Telecommunication subsector, Eng. Tanui stated that the ministry has produced, printed, and disseminated various publications, including the Kenya Yearbook and Agenda Kenya Publications. He emphasized the standardization and publication of public sector advertisements in the weekly MyGov publications. Additionally, the ministry has established two Studio Mashinani, increasing National TV coverage from 86 percent to 98 percent and providing training for 2,385 media practitioners in information and cinematic arts at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC). The ministry has also accredited 27,552 journalists and media practitioners.
Eng. Tanui highlighted emerging issues in the ICT sector, such as the rapid growth of the digital economy and the adoption of artificial intelligence for enhanced economic competitiveness and service delivery. Looking
ahead, the government plans to fully onboard 13,800 government services on the E-citizen platform, provide internet connectivity to 44,575 public institutions, complete the construction of Horizontal Phase 1 at Konza Technopolis, and lay 38,871 km of backbone fiber network.
In the Broadcasting and Telecommunication sector, the government will operationalize the National Communications Center (NCC), train 3,000 media practitioners, and establish four additional Studio Mashinani in Kisii, Eldoret, Kakamega, and Garissa Counties. Furthermore, solar power installations are planned for 42 Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) stations, and accreditation for 27,000 journalists, with 9,800 undertaking on-job training.
Eng. Tanui encouraged the public to adopt artificial intelligence and diversify investments due to rapid technological advancements. He also stressed the importance of exploring alternative funding sources for various projects and strengthening strategic communication on programs and projects. The PS
emphasized that the ICT sector is crucial for realizing the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and called for continuous investment to build a more resilient economy.