The World Bank has committed Sh1.5 billion to help hasten Kenya’s digital evolution. About two weeks ago the Kenyan administration announced that it would be digitizing all its government records in the next five years. Read the story here.
In response, the World Bank through its Single Digital Market (SDM) initiative is supporting the East African country on its mission to become a more dynamic digital investment, innovation, and growth hub.
This collaboration between Kenya and the World Bank is designed to facilitate connectivity market development and integration, effectively creating an enabling legal, regulatory, and ICT institutional environment to enhance digitalization in the region.
The project would also explore the development of the region’s data market by setting up cyber-security frameworks, infrastructure, and capacity building.
Other objectives of the World Bank’s collaboration with Kenya include the development of cross-border electronic trade and payments and e-commerce initiatives.
Delegates from the World Bank and the Kenyan government extensively discussed the proposed project in a meeting held at the World Bank’s office in Washington DC. In attendance were the EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki and the World Bank team led by Mohammed Essakali, Manager of Africa Regional Integration, and Casey Torgusson, the Global Manager, Digital Development.
During the meeting, the EAC Secretary General noted that this sort of initiative cuts across its partner states, and disclosed that plans are in the works to establish more regional digital innovation hubs across East Africa, to be able to tackle the digital challenges within the sub-continent.
“This support will further enhance the region’s competitiveness and skills development that is central to successful digital transformation,” Mathuki stated.
