PS: Vision 2030 to drive Kenya's ICT sustainability agenda

Kenya's ICT Principal Secretary, Eng John Tanui, chats with Uganda's Principal Secretary, PS Ministry of ICT and National Guidance Dr Aminah Zawedde, at the ongoing Huawei's 2025 MWC in Barcelona, Spain, on March 3, 2025. [Patrick Vidija, Standard]

Kenya's Vision 2030 remains a key pillar of the Kenya Kwanza government's strategy to drive political, economic, and social transformation.

ICT Principal Secretary John Tanui said yesterday the blueprint includes a digital master plan focused on infrastructure, service delivery, skills development, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligning with Ruto's digital superhighway initiative.

Speaking at Huawei's Global ICT Sustainable Roundtable during the ongoing World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Mr Tanui said Vision 2030 positions Kenya as a competitive player in the global digital economy by ensuring quality, accessible, reliable, and secure digital services.

He noted that through strategic partnerships and initiatives such as Huawei's Tech4All, the government has successfully rolled out 100,000 km of digital infrastructure, digitized over 20,000 government services, and trained more than 20 million Kenyans in digital transformation.

"We have partnered with key players like Huawei to expand fiber optic infrastructure and establish digital hubs in all ward administrations," he said.

Under the theme "Enabling an Inclusive and Sustainable Digital World," the roundtable focused on how global challenges have widened digital divides.

"In Kenya, we believe no one should be left behind. That's why Huawei is a strategic partner in upscaling digital skills through initiatives like Tech4All, which we leverage to drive digital inclusion," said the PS.

The initiative's key focus areas, he noted, include education, environmental conservation, and rural development. "With mobile digi-tracks, we have been able to train young people on smartphone functionality, online risks, responsible internet use, and securing online accounts and learning resources," added Mr Tanui.

While acknowledging that access and affordability gaps remain, the PS stressed the importance of equipping individuals with digital skills that expand connectivity benefits, particularly for income generation.

His sentiments were echoed by UNESCO senior education specialist Ramon Iriate, who pointed out that while governments promote digital skills, localised content is crucial for meaningful impact and diversification.

Dr Iriate noted that digital content should focus on three key elements - addressing people's needs, equipping individuals with skills for learning and work, and supporting everyday life.