Kenya marks WTSID Day 2016, opens the ICT Week to engage with the sector stakeholders

In taking part of this year’s WTSID, Communication Authority of Kenya has launched the ICT Week from 17th – 20th May 2016 to sensitize licensees in the ICT sector on the activities of the Authority as well as engage with the sector stakeholders moving forward.

The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD-2016) is celebrated annually on 17th May, to mark the founding of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1969 and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. The day is also marked to raise awareness on the possibilities that information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies. The theme for 2016 WTISD is “ICT entrepreneurship for social impact”.

In his opening remarks, the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of ICT, Joe Mucheru said, ”Kenya has gained from the activities of ITU including standardization of products and services and its my hope that the ICT Week will deliberate on how we can move the industry forward. The collaboration between various stakeholders has resulted in the gains they have made in ICTs. We are witnessing the proliferation of innovations as a result of liberalization of ICT industry. We must tell the Kenyan ICT Story as the Sillicon Savannah it has been.”

He also added that the ICT Masterplan challenges the ICT sector to contribute up to 80% to the GDP by 2017 and to achieve this industry has no choice but to harness and leverage on ICT through technology driven economic growth.

Speaking at the same event, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Sammy Itemere also stated that ICT Sector will continue be a critical component in Kenya’s economic growth as the ICT hubs had grown from one hub in 2010 to over 20 ICT Hubs symbolizing growth in innovations.

He also added that efforts were underway to review sector regulations to make them more responsive to the realities of our time.

The WTISD Day will also deliberate on ways of supporting ICT entrepreneurs and start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who have a particularly relevant role in ensuring economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner since they are involved in the development of innovative ICT-enabled solutions with a unique potential to make a long-lasting impact in global, regional and national economies and as an important source of new jobs, especially for youth, in the current knowledge economy.