By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Kenya has held bilateral
meetings with 14 countries on connectivity, digital infrastructure resilience,
cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skills on the sidelines
of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference
2026 (PP-26) in Doha, Qatar.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary
for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo Gitau,
said the discussions also addressed opportunities for collaboration at the ITU
on the priorities of developing countries, Africa and small island States.
The meetings brought
together delegations from Algeria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam,
Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq,
Kuwait, the Federated States of Micronesia, Oman, Switzerland and Uganda.
According to Kabogo, the
engagements focused on strengthening cooperation in key areas of the digital
economy, including expanding connectivity, improving the resilience of digital
infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity capabilities, advancing AI and developing
digital skills.
The discussions also
explored the importance of working together within the ITU framework to advance
the interests of developing countries, particularly African nations and small
island States, in international telecommunications policy and decision-making.
In a statement following the
meetings, Kabogo thanked the participating delegations for their time and
expressed his commitment to continuing the engagements.
The bilateral discussions
form part of Kenya’s diplomatic engagements at PP-26, where member states are
considering international telecommunications priorities and the future
direction of global digital development.
