Government to partner with European Union to create employment

ICT CS Eliud Owalo with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands at Teleposta Towers. [Ivy Kariuki, Standard]

The Government has committed to strengthen ties with the European Union.

Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said will create employment opportunities for the unemployed youths.

Owalo said they have embarked on training to facilitate optimal utilisation of ICT infrastructure and virtual services.

He said that about 500,000 Kenyans have been trained on digital literacy, noting that some 109,000 jobs have been created.

Owalo was speaking at his office on Wednesday after having consultations with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

Owalo said that so far, the ministry has managed to roll out 100,000 km fibre cables, established 25,000 WiFi hotspot spread evenly across the country.

He said another 1,450 digital hubs have also been commissioned.

"We are digitizing government records on one hand and government services on the other from a meager 350 services as at last year. We came into the government and managed to digitalize moving 13,382 services, which are onboarded in the e-citizen," said Owalo.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands emphasized on the importance of having digital Identification documents.

"We have had discussions with the cabinet secretary about how to bring the digital identity that is a foundation of the Kenyan society," she said.

She added: "We have had discussion on how we are going to help Kenyan government together with other partners to make this successful."

Maxima also said that the government will participate in its projects and also give the public chance to participate and innovate so that they can come up with life changing products.