Opinion
Kenya, a crucible of technology and business
To succeed in the global arena, Kenya must also seek to provide better and faster services to its citizens. Creating better education, health and financial services for Kenyans will deepen our capacity to be global competitors. To this end, the country must move fast to automate many of its services to create local efficiencies.
The aim must be the seamless integration of the national and county governments.
Next-generation governments will depend on mobile platforms. These next-generation governments, with the next-generation citizens, will demand local digital content – a massive source of employment.
For example, to improve agricultural yields, a farmer will need to consult a mobile phone. To give evidence in court, you need telepresence. These things and more are what will characterize the future. For all these solutions, we must develop the content that is necessary. M-PESA has taught us that necessity is the greatest driver of change.
Finally, we must strive to provide what the developers need to create solutions. Embracing open data is a cog that is necessary to develop the new applications we need to improve our livelihoods. It is a collaborative effort: the people and governments will drive the future.
Kenya can become a global innovation center as well as a major player in the outsourcing business, but it will only do so by building up its profile from local opportunities, creating local efficiencies and developing human resource capacity.
This is what is needed to make the country competitive.
Bitange Ndemo is Kenya’s former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication
Republished from The Africa Report
