Get ready for a paperless society, says Owalo

Information, Communication and Digital Economy Cabinet secretary Eliud Owalo has asked Kenyans to get ready for a paperless society.

The government plans to transform the society and the economy through technology.

Outlining his agenda in his first days in office, Owalo said he will prioritise digitalisation of government services and records.

“This is crucial for an efficient, paperless society that is also friendly to the environment,” he said.

A paperless society is where paper communication, such as  documents, mail and letters, is replaced by electronic communication and storage.

With the advent of the digital age, states and organisations have been adopting paperless operations as they are deemed to be efficient, cost-saving and convenient.

The Ministry of Lands has already adopted the trend. It has moved to digitise the Registry and the introduced electronic land transactions systems. This initiative has been named the National Land Information Management System (NLIMS).

In a statement, Owalo said his ministry will endeavour to transform the economy by leveraging on technology and telecommunication capabilities.

“We want to make Kenya an empowered digital society, with high standards of living for our people, in line with the mandate of the ministry,” he said.

“The Kenya Kwanza dream for our country through the role of this Ministry is a noble and valid dream. It is a dream about a paperless society, driven by modern information and communication technology. It is about a modern society that leverages on technology for job creation and generation of wealth.”

Owalo further promised to facilitate a structured framework for government communication by putting in place a contact centre for the public.

“His Excellency the President envisages an open government that holds conversations with its citizens. We are, therefore, going to create an efficient and timely platform for ongoing conversations with the people, regardless of where they may be in the world,” he said

He said his ministry will be a facilitator and regulator of information and communication technology, for efficiency and productivity in all other sectors.

“ICT is the engine that is driving the global community today. My ministry must place Kenya at the cutting edge of ICT as a digital economy in this age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We cannot afford to let the world leave us behind,” he said.

He further promised to provide an enabling environment for technology-based talent development and job creation.

“To this end I will fast-track the finalisation of developing critical policies now in the process of formulation. These policies, and the relevant supportive legislation, will enable the ministry to optimally deliver its mandate," he said.

Owalo said his ministry will be the engine driving the Kenya Kwanza bottom-up economic agenda.

He said the ministry will be providing the information and communication technology needed for actualisation of the plan.

It will also gather, process and disseminate appropriate and timely information tso that will enable and speed up the development process.

“We are crucial to implementation of the promises that the Kenya Kwanza Government has made to the nation,” he added.

He promised to strengthen institutions under his ministry, citing Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), the Kenya News Agency (KNA), Telcom and the Postal Corporation (Posta).

“We are going to thoroughly shake up the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and breathe fresh life into it. The national broadcaster must step up to the plate. It must punch at its right weight. Its revitalisation is a priority that we intend to embark upon almost immediately.”

He further promised to fast-track the enactment of the Konza Technopolis Bill, the ICT-Authority Bill, and development of an E-commerce strategy, to support the revamping of the Postal Corporation.

(Edited by V. Graham)