- It will contribute to economic growth in the region through increased trade and better logistics applications.
- Getao said the project will fully integrate the underdeveloped northwestern Kenya into the larger national economy.
Rehabilitation of the Eldoret-Nakodok fibre optic cable and construction of the 630km high-speed cable are on course.
ICT Authority CEO Katherine Getao said once completed, the project will support economic initiatives such as fishing in Lake Turkana as well as irrigation and animal resources in northwestern Kenya.
“It will contribute to economic growth in the region through increased trade and better logistics applications that enable port access for landlocked countries,” Getao said.
The CEO made her remarks following an inspection visit with the ICT management that started at Nadapal and ended in Eldoret on Tuesday.
Getao said the project will fully integrate the underdeveloped northwestern region into the larger national economy and facilitate the restoration and development of the South Sudan economy.
“This can be achieved by promoting and facilitating regional economic integration between South Sudan and East African neighbouring countries,” she said.
Getao said the project will provide alternative direct road access to the port of Mombasa for South Sudan's export and imports without transiting another country. It will also facilitate reconstruction efforts in all sectors in South Sudan.
“It will enhance service delivery and at the same time attract development and roadside businesses in the less developed areas of the road corridor within the two economies,” she said.
The project that is jointly funded by the government of Kenya and the World Bank is aimed at extending connectivity.
The ICT Authority was established in 2013 to create, develop and maintain secure ICT infrastructure and systems and promote e-government services.
Getao said the authority has put in place a framework through the development of the ICT Infrastructure Master Plan to effectively execute its functions.
She said the document is the blueprint for the rollout of ICT infrastructure by the government and will be referenced for new deployments, upgrades or expansion of existing ICT infrastructure.
This is in line with government policy documents including Vision 2030. The East African project will add to the current ICT infrastructure, which comprises the undersea cables, fibre optic cable backbone, Local Area Networks, wireless networks and data centres.
According to the master plan, the government will provide accessible, affordable, reliable, quality and secure ICT infrastructure through addressing the gaps that have been identified, including the arid and semi-arid regions such as Turkana.
The national fibre optic cable currently spans 8,900km and reaches all 47 counties.
Edited by Henry Makori