By:
Kanto Kai Okanta
Government
officials, technology leaders and industry stakeholders have reaffirmed Kenya's
commitment to accelerating its digital transformation agenda through trusted
digital infrastructure, responsible adoption of cloud and artificial
intelligence (AI), and stronger public-private partnerships.
The
discussions took place during the Oracle Public Sector Summit in Nairobi on
July 29, where participants examined the policy, infrastructure and
partnerships required to advance the country's digital government ambitions.
The
panel discussion, moderated by Oracle Country Leader for Côte d'Ivoire and
Government Affairs Director for Africa, Annick Sakho, brought together
representatives from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, the
Communications Authority of Kenya, iXAfrica Data Centres and Oracle.
Panelists
included Oscar Otieno from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner,
Martin Mirero of the Communications Authority of Kenya, Florence Khamala of
iXAfrica Data Centres and David Bunei of Oracle.
The
discussion focused on how Kenya can translate its national digital policies
into large-scale public sector transformation by strengthening digital
infrastructure, expanding cloud adoption and ensuring the responsible
deployment of AI technologies.
Participants
noted that Kenya has established a strong foundation for digital transformation
through supportive government policies, continued investment in digital
infrastructure and collaboration between public institutions and private sector
partners.
The
panel emphasized that trusted digital infrastructure, sound data governance,
cybersecurity and effective leadership will be essential to delivering
citizen-centred public services while creating long-term public value.
Oracle
also reaffirmed its long-term commitment to supporting Kenya's digital economy
through investments in cloud infrastructure and advanced digital technologies.
A
key focus of the summit was Oracle's planned Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
Region in Nairobi, which is expected to provide organizations in Kenya with
access to secure, enterprise-grade cloud and AI services hosted closer to
customers. The investment is intended to support government digital
transformation initiatives, strengthen digital resilience and enable faster
innovation across both the public and private sectors.
The
summit concluded with participants expressing a shared commitment to advancing
Kenya's vision of becoming one of Africa's leading digital economies through
collaboration, innovation and the responsible use of emerging technologies.
