Economy
State to establish a digital hub in each of the 1,450 wards
Friday January 27 2023
Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Information Communications and The Digital Economy Eliud Owalo at a past event on November 9, 2022. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU | NMG
The government plans to establish a digital hub in each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards in an ambitious project to spur digital trade.
ICT Cabinet secretary Eliud Owalo said the hubs would complement the government’s agenda to revolutionise business operations using technology.
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“As part of the ongoing conversation to digitise all government records and services and live up to our campaign pledge of rolling out a digital superhighway, we will be moving to establish at least one digital hub in each of the 1,450 wards across the country,” said Mr Owalo as he opened a data protection conference.
A digital hub is a shared workspace for a range of complementary activities, including commercial businesses, the public sector as well as community organisations.
It offers high-speed and cutting-edge technical facilities and services which include meeting rooms, event and training spaces for freelancers, entrepreneurs and small businesses with a focus on bringing people together for networking purposes.
This comes as an add-on to an earlier plan to lay down at least 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable during President William Ruto’s five-year term.
The State has also commenced a far-reaching programme of setting up 25,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots in major markets and trading centres across the country ostensibly to facilitate e-commerce.
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“We are ready as a ministry, apart from bringing internet here, to also ensure that those who have got challenges in skills are well trained so that there is optimal uptake of the technology,” said Mr Owalo when he presided over the launch of a hotspot in Nairobi’s City Market last November.
In the past decade, Kenya has made remarkable strides in ICT infrastructure, consequently cementing its status as one of the leading tech hubs in the region.
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