Kenya convenes high-level ICT workshop to enhance digital governance and service delivery

By:   Nana Appiah Acquaye

Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, John Kipchumba Tanui, has officially opened a high-level workshop in Naivasha aimed at strengthening coordination, institutional capacity, and digital service delivery across government ministries and departments.

The workshop brought together Secretaries and Directors of ICT from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at what officials described as a critical phase in Kenya’s digital transformation agenda. Discussions focused on enhancing ICT governance, improving inter-agency coordination, eliminating duplication of initiatives, clarifying institutional mandates, strengthening accountability, and aligning ICT structures with national development priorities.

Tanui said the meeting follows a series of institutional reforms implemented over the past year to position ICT at the center of governance and economic transformation. As part of the restructuring, the government established four strategic directorates covering Digital Infrastructure, Cybersecurity and Systems Audit, Digital Government and Data Governance, and Digital Economy and Emerging Technologies.

In addition, ICT units across State Departments have been elevated to fully-fledged Directorates reporting directly to Accounting Officers. The reforms have introduced four Secretaries and 48 ICT Directorates across MDAs, reflecting what the State Department described as a shift in the role of ICT from a support function to a core driver of governance and competitiveness.

On human capital development, the Principal Secretary highlighted the creation of ICT Assistant positions targeting graduates with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) diplomas. According to the State Department, 290 ICT Assistant Officers have been deployed nationwide, complementing more than 1,050 ICT Officers currently serving across government institutions.

Tanui also pointed to progress within Kenya’s digital economy, citing growth in software development, digital platforms, business process outsourcing (BPO), electronics manufacturing, and artificial intelligence and cloud services. Government data indicates that over 300,000 Kenyans are engaged in BPO and online work, while approximately six million devices have been assembled locally and 50,000 kilometers of fibre manufactured within the country.

He emphasized that effective coordination remains central to sustaining the momentum of digital transformation, noting that countries that achieve large-scale digital change treat ICT as strategic infrastructure.

The State Department reaffirmed the role of ICT officers as key actors in advancing digital government initiatives and supporting economic growth, calling for continued collaboration across national and county governments.