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Kenya to commission a taskforce on Blockchain and IoT
President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on the Ministry of ICT to a create a taskforce that will focus on how…
President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on the Ministry of ICT to a create a taskforce that will focus on how the country can leverage on blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
Barely 24 hours later, the Ministry of ICT swang into action to prepare for the unveiling of the taskforce that will champion the deployment of the advancing technologies such as Blockchain and IoT.
President Uhuru said this during an event held at Strathmore University in partnership with The U.S. Chamber of Commerce U.S.-Africa Business Center, and Microsoft entitled “Digital Drivers: Enabling the Growth of Africa’s Digital Economy.”
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The event was attended by government officials, industry experts, educators, and innovators who discussed on how they can work together to establish a business-friendly, innovative environment for a digital Africa.
“We need to better understand the opportunities for Blockchain Technology, the risks of cybersecurity and the essential education and skills that our young people will need to make new technology work for them,” said the President.
He added that the country has been a leader in digital innovation and would not be left behind in the latest trends.
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The President’s directive to institute a taskforce comes on the lead up of World Blockchain Summit scheduled for 23rd and 24th March. The event is organised by Trescon and will be hosted in Nairobi. This event shall subsequently be followed by other eagerly awaited regional conference namely The IoT & Big Data Summit, scheduled for 16th and 17th August 2018 by the organizer CIO East Africa.
“To this end, the Ministry of ICT will set up a taskforce on Blockchain and Internet of Things Technology because, as a country, we cannot let these opportunities pass us by,” said President Kenyatta.
Government’s Big Four plan
Touching also on his Big Four plan for growing the country’s economy President Uhuru Kenyatta admitted that technology will be a major driver for delivering this.
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He added that he was confident that the digital revolution will help Kenya achieve the Big Four plan and ensure that growth transforms the lives of the people.
The Big Four include the expansion of manufacturing, affordable housing, food security, and universal health care.
President Kenyatta said technology will support affordable healthcare by driving access to information, better financing, stronger training for health workers, and, ultimately, broader access to services.
“Digital technology will also support efforts to increase food security by playing a key role in agricultural value chains through better access to inputs, more reliable weather and crop information, tracking of counterfeit inputs, more transparent access to markets and fair pricing. Digital technology also underpins a range of agro-financing services that are essential for equipping smallholder farmers across the country,” said the President.
This move by the Government will help position the country to reap the most out of the global digital revolution. new innovations from Kenya have trended in the world, showing that the country Kenya has the potential to continue leading in the digital revolution.
“MPESA, M-Kopa, GroIntelligence, Andela and others, show that we can lead the world with innovations that drive financial inclusion, access to energy, better data to drive our agriculture, and the essential skills required to support the young innovators of the future,” concluded President Kenyatta.