Kenya MOICT presentation at the Youth Engagement Summit Mauritius

Oscar OmondiSenior ICT Officer

Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology

Dec , 2013

Youth Engagement in ICT:The Case of Kenya

Contents

Introduction

Youth & ICT in Kenya

Challenges

Needs

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Governments worldwide have recognized the role that Informationand Communication Technologies (ICTs) could play in socio-economic development

Countries especially those in the developed world and some indeveloping countries are putting in place policies and plansdesigned to transform their economies into an information andknowledge economy.

The convergence of technologies including telecommunications,information technology and digital media has createdopportunities for citizens in the African continent to takeadvantage of these technologies to meet the needs of the peoplein the area of mobile money, print media and automation ofprocesses for decision making.

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Global Trends

Youth are adapting and using these technologies (including telephone,fax, radio, television, film, computers and the Internet) to meet localinformation and communication needs.

In the global information society, young people are often the leadinginnovators in the use and spread of information and communicationtechnologies (ICTs).

ITU 2011 statistics show that 45% of the world’s Internet users arebelow the age of 25.in developing countries, 30% of this age group usethe internet compared to 23% of those above the age of 25.

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Youth and ICT

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Youth and ICT

Incubation programmes

The host organization support emerging ICT businesses and incubate themtowards success and growth.

Grants for SW Development

IBM research Lab---at the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA).2012

Designed to drive innovation and help market Kenya as a leading modern serviceseconomy, bolstering mobile technology and contributing to the creation of high-value jobs. Project is being run in partnership with the ICTA

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Youth and ICT

30% of government procurement by law dedicated to the youth

Procurement

Partnership between ICTA,SAP and multimedia University.Scholarship scheme that will bring SAP certification training to hundreds of thebest Kenyan university graduatesCitizens from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular to be considered.

Professional certification SAP/SW

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Wezesha ‘Wezesha’; a Swahili word that means ‘to enable’.

Financial incentive towards purchasing a laptop for registereduniversity

The Voucher is worth $120.00 The remaining portion of thelaptop purchase must be met by the student purchaser at thepoint of sale

Target: 15,667 laptops

Youth & ICT

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PASHA

Digital Village Revolving Fund (DVRF): Advance loans to entrepreneurs toenable them establish the PASHA centres

Entrepreneurship Training

Technical Support

Ksh 320 million loan facility to support the establishment of PashaCentres across the country. This facility finance Kenyan entrepreneurswilling to set up the Pasha Centres.

Youth & ICT

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TANDAA

It promotes the creation and distribution of locally relevant digitalcontent through the Tandaa Symposium and seed money to ICTentrepreneurs.

Tandaa is a Swahili word thatmeans ‘to spread’

Youth & ICT

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KENETKENET is a National Research and Education Network that promotesthe use of ICT in Teaching, Learning and Research in Higher EducationInstitutions in Kenya. KENET aims to interconnect all the Universities,Tertiary and Research Institutions in Kenya by setting up a cost effectiveand sustainable private network with high speed access to the globalInternet.

Youth & ICT

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KENET POPsYouth & ICT

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KENET Institutional Coverage MapYouth & ICT

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BPO ICT: Konza Techno CityIn the economic pillar of Vision 2030, BPO was identified as a key component of creating jobs and wealth

Youth & ICT

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The Challenge

Young people are often limited from full participation by notionsthat their time will come. Final Report andRecommendations to the Global Knowledge Partnership(March,2000).

Young people remain an untapped resource in decision-makingNo integration of their knowledge, vision and experience

Every technological invention creates two new categories ofpoverty: Those who can't (lack of ABILITY) use it and those whowon't (lack of INTEREST, KNOWLEDGE) use it.

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Required

Engagement in policy and development process Widen age group targeted for access and capacity

development Entry knowledge towards using knowledge

Find ways of enhancing creativity & innovation Develop sustainable and replicable support mechanisms Bringing ICT literacy to the marginalized utilize ICT to re-ignite the passion of youths in other sectors of

the economy:- Agriculture, health, education Improving connectivity, increasing access and lowering

cost.

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#End#

Any Question?

Thank you for your attention

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