The newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications, and The Digital Economy William Kabogo, has pledged to spearhead Kenya’s digital transformation agenda to ensure that public services are quickly accessible and delivered efficiently and effectively.
He underscored the urgent need to fully digitise government services, stating that his Ministry will be digitised 100 per cent in due course and then target digitisation of the entire Government so that Kenyans would be served timely.
While taking over the mantle from Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi during a brief handover ceremony at the Ministry’s Headquarters at Telposta Towers, Nairobi, Mr Kabogo expressed optimism in working with all officers in the Ministry so as to achieve the Mandate of the Digital Superhighway and the Digital Economy.
Mr Kabogo also pledged to establish a framework to streamline the use of social media and encouraged responsible use of the same while upholding constitutional freedoms.
He emphasised the importance of leveraging on social media to share impactful messages that improve the lives of Kenyans.
“It is important to be responsible and also to enjoy the freedom of expression enshrined in our Constitution,” he stated.
The Cabinet Secretary added, “If we strike that balance, then we can communicate effectively without any contentious issues regarding the flow of information on social media.”
Mr Kabogo further pledged to safeguard the data of Kenyans while urging citizens to use it responsibly without infringing on the rights of others.
The CS underscored the need to strengthen the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) to empower Kenyans with a clear understanding of their rights, the obligations surrounding data protection, and the limits of its use.
He called for collective responsibility to ensure data is used positively and ethically, underpinning trust and accountability in the digital space.
On his part, Prime Cabinet Secretary Mr Mudavadi underscored the importance of communicating effectively the Government’s policies, programmes and projects that have been rolled out or are underway and future plans of action to ensure the citizenry is well versed in the Agenda of the State.
Mr Mudavadi further called for total transparency and accountability across all sectors of government to ensure effective service delivery to all Kenyans countrywide.
“We have an obligation as a country to incorporate the use of digital tools in our education curriculum to ensure the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence tools, so that we all know what is expected of us,” said Mr Mudavadi.
he Prime Cabinet Secretary urged citizens, particularly those in the media, to leverage on their platforms and capabilities to position Kenya as a leading regional hub.
He further urged Kenyans to actively champion the country as a potential prime destination for both technological advancements and tourism, thereby boosting its global reputation and economic growth.
He called on all Kenyans, whether in public or private spaces, including media houses, to embrace accountability, saying, “Let’s all be accountable, whether in leadership, the public or private space, or in media houses, so as to serve society and the country better,” he stated.
The two Cabinet Secretaries encouraged Kenyans to embrace technology and harness its full potential, particularly through innovations like Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the benefit of the citizens and the country’s socio-economic development and sustainable economic growth.
They emphasised that by leveraging on technology, Kenyans can drive change and improve lives by developing creative and useful ideas on how to deliver impactful and sustainable projects.
The event was attended by, among others, the Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani, ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary Eng. John Tanui, Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors, Departmental Heads, and other Senior Ministry officials.
By Ian Chepkuto