•Over 1500 youths trained under Ajira Digital were trained and deployed to courts across the country to deliver tasks aimed towards digitisation.
•A survey by the Mastercard Foundation, conducted in 2022, showed that roughly over 1.9 million Kenyans were engaged in the digital and gig economy.
Image: HANDOUT
The Digital technologies embraced by government are making it easier for Kenyans, even in the most remote parts of the country, to access information and connect with people.
With the government already digitizing at least 5,000 services, this offers tremendous opportunities to simplify, secure and increase efficiency for service delivery, economic transformation and create jobs for young people, and push the nation towards progress.
Indeed, digitization brings efficiency, by integrating technology into various departments and ministries of the government.
Through this the country will reduce the bureaucratic hurdles that its citizens have experienced in the past. For example, the cabinet secretariat of Kenya, since immemorial, has operated its activities manually.
For the purpose of providing quality services to the cabinet and other government agencies and improving efficiency and effectiveness, it has embraced paperless reporting as the government kicked off its digitization drive.
The Judiciary also adopted technology in its move to digitize the courts through a pilot project by the Ajira Digital program.
Over 1500 youths trained under Ajira Digital were trained and deployed to courts across the country to deliver tasks aimed towards digitisation.
These moves set the pace for other sectors to adopt digitization to achieve transformation and pave the path to a prosperous nation.
In the bid to accelerate the uptake of digital technologies, the government is implementing programmes like Ajira Digital, Digital Literacy, Jitume and the National Optic Fibre Backhaul Initiative (NOFBI).
The Ajira Digital program, an initiative of the government under the Ministry of Information Communication and the Digital Economy, is aimed at equipping over 1 million young people annually with digital work opportunities while positioning Kenya as the choice labour destination for multinationals.
The program is implemented by eMobilis Technology Training Institute and KEPSA with the strategic partnership of the Mastercard Foundation.
According to a report released by ICT CS Eliud Owalo recently, the Ministry, and Digital Economy through Ajira program has raised countrywide awareness of digitally enabled jobs and the digital economy to 53 percent among adults and 56 percent among youth.
A survey by the Mastercard Foundation, conducted in 2022, showed that roughly over 1.9 million Kenyans were engaged in the digital and gig economy.
This was an increase from 638,000 in 2019—a very promising sign for the digital economy and digital entrepreneurship. The CS report further indicated that, over 366,000 young people have been trained in digital work-readiness skills, and over 120,000 have been directly linked to online freelance jobs through the Ajira program since inception.
Through affordable access to the internet, the government continues to empower young people to navigate the digital landscape confidently.
Bridging Digital Divide on the country
Digitization will accelerate the closure of the digital divide witnessed in the country, enabling technology to become more accessible and breaking down socio-economic barriers while at the same time providing opportunities for all Kenyans to participate in the digital economy.
So far, since the beginning of the year, over 5000 km of fiber optic cable have already been laid by both the government and the private sector.
This inclusivity by the government will not only foster social cohesion but also boost the country’s economy.
Although many Kenyans are afraid that digitization of government services might lead to the loss of traditional jobs, they should keep in mind that it will also generate more new unconventional jobs.
The new offering can be accessed by anyone regardless of their physical location, especially with the growing digital empowerment by the government and private sector.
As the government embarks on this digital journey, proactive and preventive measures should being put in place to counter any potential cyber threats.
Such measures are taken both at the institutional and individual levels by building formidable cyber defense systems and accelerating digital literacy.
Mwenda is the Co-founder & MD of eMobilis