Kenya’s ICT Minister praised for role in getting proposed ICT Bill rejected

Stakeholders within Kenya’s Communications and Technology space have applauded the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Joseph Mucheru for his outstanding role in getting President Uhuru Kenyatta to reject the proposed Information and Communications (ICT) Practitioners Bill.

The Minister who has been opposed to the proposed bill since its introduction by Hon. Aden Daule in 2016 and rejected the same year has consistently argued that the bill when passed could derail the gains made by the country’s Information Communications and Technology (ICT) sector.

He relentlessly maintained his stand against the bill even when it was later brought back to the house again for further discussion by Hon, Godfred Osotsi in 2018.

Since the approval of the ICT Bill two weeks ago by Kenya’s parliament, the Cabinet Secretary has been on record to have expressed his disgust at the Bill describing it in a recent tweet as ‘a private member’s bill’, promising to fight the bill in its various forms.

So following President Kenyatta’s rejection of the ICT Bill together with two other Bills including the Insurance Professionals Registration Bill of 2020 and the Higher Education Loans Bill 2020, Mr. Mucheru took to his social media handle on Twitter to break the news to his teeming followers.

Reacting to the Cabinet Secretary’s tweet, many industry professionals including the Group Chief Technology and Innovations Officer for Liquid Technologies, Ben Robert have lauded Mr. Mucheru’s support for Kenya’s ICT sector.

“Asante CS for your support on this milestone!” he said.

Under the rejected ICT Practitioners Bill, ICT professionals will have to be issued a license by a council before they can practice. They are also required to meet certain academic qualifications.

By: Kanto Okanta