The government has only established 37 out of 1,450 planned digital hubs and installed 1,491 public Wi-Fi spots out of a target of 5,000 due to logistical challenges and funding constraints, ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui has said.
Appearing before the Senate ICT Committee, Tanui acknowledged the delays, attributing them to initial power cost uncertainties and coordination challenges between government agencies.
He assured senators that discussions with county governments and the State Department for Urban Development were underway to resolve the issues and accelerate the rollout.
Kwale Senator Boy Issa Juma demanded details on the completed hubs and the costs involved.
The committee’s Vice Chair, Miraj Abdillahi, questioned why the ministry’s budget had been reduced by Sh423.5 million despite its ambitious targets for the 2025/2026 financial year.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Kabogo defended the budget cuts, saying they were part of efficiency measures and that the government was working with stakeholders to secure alternative funding sources.
However, Senator Hezena Lemaletian raised concerns over the ministry’s growing pending bills, which Kabogo admitted were worsening due to budget reductions.
“I am new in the ministry, but two months have been enough to catch up. We have engaged the Treasury, but with the recent supplementary budget, everything was reduced to zero. This issue must be resolved at the Cabinet level,” Kabogo said.
On struggling state corporations, Kabogo emphasized the need for restructuring before financial bailouts.
He revealed that a planned Sh9 billion funding package for the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) from a Spanish lender had been put on hold due to inefficiencies and redundancies that needed to be addressed first.
He also hinted at a sustainable revenue model for the Postal Corporation, which is awaiting Cabinet approval.
The committee also sought clarification on the ministry’s involvement in the Social Health Insurance Fund system.
Kabogo explained that the Directorate of ICT at the Ministry of Health was overseeing the project, with ICT staff deployed and the ICT Principal Secretary serving on the steering committee.
Senators called for assurances that all government institutions would consult the ICT ministry before procuring digital systems.
Kabogo cited Executive Order No. 2 of 2023, which mandates ICT oversight, and pointed to the Kenya National Digital Masterplan 2022-2032 as the guiding framework.
He also highlighted the establishment of a Directorate of Cybersecurity, System Audit, and Control to ensure compliance.
Nominated Senator Beatrice Akinyi Ogolla urged the ministry to visit the Loropio ICT Hub in Turkana County, which she described as a model project.
“It seems to be working well, and it is important to check or benchmark,” she said.
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