The National ICT Master Plan has officially been launched at the sixth edition of the Connected Kenya Summit currently underway in Mombasa.
The ICT Master Plan sets the agenda for the Kenyan ICT sector and its contribution towards an ICT-led economic growth in line with Vision 2030. The Plan also details the roles of both private and public sectors to avoid wasteful overlap and competition.
Presenting the Plan, Prof Tim Waema, chairperson of the National ICT Masterplan Task force, noted that the document is based on 3 key pillars namely to enhance e-government services, develop ICT businesses and use of ICT as a driver for industry growth.
"The plan is also anchored on three foundations which are integrated ICT infrastructure, integrated information infrastructure and ICT human capital and workforce. It will also help us realise increased coverage of national broadband in infrastructure by 35%, households by 100%, schools by 100% with health centres' uptake being pegged at 100%," said Prof Waema.
It is expected that with the Master Plan in place, the government, private sector and international investors will be able to make prudent decisions and investments in the country's ICT with all sector players acting purposefully to ensure Kenya's transition into a knowledge economy.
This 5-year plan seeks to drive citizen participation in the realisation of Vision 2030 priorities through ICT policies and initiatives. It projects that by 2017, Kenya's ICT industry will be contributing an estimated US $ 2 billion - equivalent to 25 percent of Kenya's GDP - while creating an estimated 500 new tier-1 ICT companies and over 50,000 jobs.
The document is Masterplan was developed by a team comprising representatives from the Ministry of ICT, National Communications Secretariat, Directorate of eGovernment, Kenya IT and Outsourcing Society and Kenya ICT Board. Initial stakeholder consultations were undertaken in October 2012.
