NAIROBI – The Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy has officially launched its Strategic Plan for the years 2023 to 2027, laying out a comprehensive policy blueprint designed to fulfill its mission of serving the Kenyan populace and achieving their developmental goals. The plan aims to address current issues and challenges while empowering ministry staff, partners, and the public with the necessary information for accountability.
According to Kenya News Agency, the strategic document was introduced during an event on Wednesday at a Nairobi hotel, marking a pivotal step towards the implementation of vital activities, projects, and programs over the next four years. Owalo detailed that the strategic plan, developed in collaboration with key stakeholders in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector, aligns with the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) to facilitate poverty eradication, job creation, improved revenue collection, and economic growth.
The plan identifies seven key result areas, including policy, legal, and institutional frameworks; digital superhighway and telecommunications infrastructure; digital government services and products; universal access to information; business process outsourcing/IT-enabled services and local content development; governance, finance, and human capital development; and cyber security, data governance, and emerging technologies.
Owalo highlighted the strategy’s objectives to establish a national addressing system, revitalize key state corporations, roll out broadband connectivity to the ward level, install free public WiFi, digitize government services, and enhance data protection and cybersecurity measures. He emphasized the government’s commitment to creating a conducive business environment for digitally enabled startups and attracting multinational technology companies.
The strategic plan is seen as a vital component in aligning the Ministry’s vision with the government’s broader transformative agenda, including Vision 2030, Sustainable Development Goals, and Africa Agenda 2063. Owalo also mentioned the plan’s integration of various economic sectors into its Digital Economy Blueprint and the Digital Master Plan 2022-2032, aiming for the ICT sector to contribute 10 percent to Kenya’s GDP.
With a total resource requirement of over Sh. 456 billion against a projected budget of Sh. 168.3 billion, Owalo called for the Ministry’s partners’ support to bridge the significant funding gap. He urged ministry staff to embrace commitment and teamwork to achieve the strategic plan’s goals.
Furthermore, Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani, announced a new structural adjustment in the State Department of Broadcasting, introducing three positions of Communication Secretaries to bolster the government’s efforts in protecting and revamping national institutions. Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, Eng. John Tanui, emphasized the strategic plan’s role as a catalyst for the ICT sector’s future direction, economic growth, and transformation, expressing gratitude to the German Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and other partners for their support.