President Uhuru Kenyatta on his visit to a Rwnada summit called on African countries to prioritize the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
The President spoke when he unveiled Kenya’s digital economy blueprint to investors and Heads of State attending the Transform Africa Summit 2019 of the Smart Africa Initiative in Kigali.
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) May 15, 2019
The Heads of State present at the unveiling included President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Boubakar Keita of Mali. The Rwandan President is the current chairman of the Smart Africa Initiative, a continental body that aims at creating a single digital market.
Kenya’s digital economy strategy themed “powering Kenya’s transformation” was unveiled in the presence of over 4,000 participants among them government bureaucrats, policymakers, innovators and technology investors who met to discuss how ICT resources can be harnessed to boost African economies.
Through the blueprint, the government aims at enhancing the contribution of ICTs to the economy through digital governance solutions, digitizing business processes, facilitating infrastructure delivery, innovation-driven entrepreneurship and promotion of digital skills and values.
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) May 15, 2019
“Our vision is that in the next five years, every part of the country will be connected, thus allowing all citizens partake in the digital movement,” said President Kenyatta.
The President also spoke about the central role of the youth in the digital economy in Africa saying Kenya had fashioned a special intervention targeted at empowering her young people with practical ICT skills.
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) May 15, 2019
“We are encouraging the youth to be proactive and tap into the digital market through our Ajira programme that has seen many get online jobs,” he added.
Earlier, President Kenyatta toured various exhibition stands at the summit including that of Kenya where various products that enhance efficiency and use of technology in various sectors of the economy including agriculture were showcased.
In his address, President Kenyatta said Kenya will be at the forefront in driving Africa’s digital economy adding that the country’s globally acknowledged and revolutionary innovations such as MPESA mobile money ecosystem are a demonstration of the continent’s limitless ICTs potential.
He said Africa stands on the brink of a major transformation, not only as a new frontier for investment but as a continent driven by a young, vibrant and aggressively innovative population, brimming with immense potential.
“We are the new frontier for trade and investment with estimates indicating that by 2025, business opportunities in Africa will be about US$ 5.6 trillion. More importantly, we have evolved platforms for driving this collective destiny of our prosperity,” said President Kenyatta.
President Kenyatta underscored the importance of technology as a fundamental element of Africa’s economic journey to prosperity saying he looked forward the rollout of a Pan-African digital economy strategy.
The Head of State said Kenya’s proactive digital economy strategy gives prominence to five pillars among them an infrastructure that is available affordable, resilient and reliable.