Chairman of the WTPF-21, H.E. Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful,

Secretary General of the ITU,

Elected Officials of the ITU,

Honourable Ministers,

Excellencies,

Heads of Delegations,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of my delegation and the people of the Republic of Kenya, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Madam Chair, on your election as chair of this Sixth World Telecommunication Policy Forum (WTPF-21), and the able stewardship you have demonstrated so far. I also wish to commend the ITU for the great coordination of this forum and for all its efforts in managing and coordinating the global ICT networks and services.

Indeed the Republic of Kenya is proud to participate in this Forum, which provides member states with an opportunity to share experiences on ongoing policy approaches to foster the development of ICTs in the realization of Sustainable Development Goals.

For about two years now, as the world grappled with the pandemic, the centrality of ICTs as an answer to the challenges of our time cannot be disputed.  ICTs have enabled countries, both large and small, to mount appropriate responses to the prevailing global challenges, in line with their own practical realities.

And that’s why this forum could not have come at a better time, as we take stock of what we have done over this time, but most importantly, how we are prioritizing the development of ICTs so that we leverage the benefits of the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4IR) to fuel the digital transformation of our economy.

Kenya like all other countries across the world, continues to take deliberate steps to not only grow the ICT industry, but also ensure its citizens derive value so that they can lead meaningful lives, to solve their day-to-day challenges within the context of prevailing realities in the world around them.

We have also taken note of the Secretary General’s draft report for this forum, which we see dovetailing into our broader digital transformation agenda.

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Kenya has for a long time adopted and implemented a technology neutral policy approach in the ICT industry that has been a catalyst for the progress we have achieved in this space. This deliberate direction has provided a conducive environment for not only eliminating barriers to entry of players into the sector, but has also engendered rapid innovations that have had a transformative impact on our people and economy.

Our National ICT Policy has expressed deliberate intentions by the Government of Kenya to create the infrastructure frameworks that support the growth of  high speed Internet across the country, the adoption of Internet of Things, machine learning and local manufacturing while fostering a secure, innovation ecosystem.

The Kenyan Government in 2019 unveiled the Digital Economy Blueprint, which sets forth its key focus areas that will see increased contribution of ICTs to the GDP through creation of a robust economy, providing secure income and livelihoods to the citizenry. The blueprint identifies five key pillars that we believe are essential for the digital transformation of our economy. These are Digital Government, Digital Business, Infrastructure, Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship, and Digital Skills and Values. These pillars relate very closely to some of the topics that are scheduled for discussion in this Forum.

Just two years ago we formed a team to provide advice on emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Ledgers. The team provided invaluable insights on what we need to do to leverage these new frontiers, which are already in operation in various spheres of the economy, by having a structured approach to enable us derive maximum value and the full range of the immense benefits and opportunities that these technologies hold.

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the full scope of the digital divide in various countries, Kenya included. During this period, particularly when the Government enforced containment measures to stem the spread of the virus, ICTs were key in keeping our people informed of the evolving situation, making cashless payments, e-commerce, tele-working, tele-medicine and online learning, among others. 

We observed that, due to the disparities that exist in access to ICTs across the country, there was an urgent need to scale up interventions so as to be able to reach people in the remote, hard-to-reach and economically unviable areas of our country.

Additionally, the Government formed an ICT Advisory Committee to coordinate ICT sector responses to the pandemic. The team identified several ICT innovations that arose during the period, and some of these were scaled up to support the country during and beyond COVID-19.

But most importantly, the need to have resilient ICT infrastructure was magnified, as witnessed in increased demand for services during this period, prompting additional policy and regulatory interventions. On the flip side, ICT service providers were also affected by other indirect impacts of the pandemic, including job losses, further compromising their ability to deliver the required scale of services to the consumers. Creating sustainable ICT businesses has been a great lesson out of the pandemic.

This period also created a sense of urgency for the adoption of complementary efforts to avail connectivity to the greatest number of our population. We have now enhanced deployment of mobile network connectivity infrastructure in these areas under the Universal Service Fund (USF).

With 5G technology now witnessing increased growth globally, Kenya is not being left behind in this race. We have developed a 5G Implementation Roadmap that is envisaged to assist the country leverage this new frontier for national development. We also set the pace by deploying 5G trials in the capital City, Nairobi, and other major towns in the country.

Excellencies

Distinguished delegates,

As a country, we acknowledge the fact that our people cannot enjoy the immense benefits that are brought about by these emerging technologies without addressing some pertinent issues.

In this regard, beyond the urgent need to encourage investments in ICT infrastructure, we are focusing on other priority areas such as engendering the local assembly and manufacturing of devices, strengthening of our payments and logistics infrastructure, as well as growth and adoption of local e-commerce platforms with global reach.

Other priority areas include provision of trusted security and certification infrastructure for all electronic communication and transactions, enhancing inclusivity by encouraging gender equality and accessibility to persons with disabilities as well as coordination and cooperation with international systems and platforms for global reach.

It is equally important that our people have the requisite digital skills that will enable them access digital technology, having the literacy and know-how to use this technology, and being able to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.

We therefore see the possession of digital and 21^st Century skills as critical to digital entrepreneurship, digital adoption and transformation, across the public and private and public sectors.

To this end, the Kenya Government continues to improve skills through the various initiatives that include availing digital literacy in primary schools, developing curricula and creating centres of excellence in all levels of the education system. The Presidential Digital Talent Programme, for instance, has been instrumental in equipping budding ICT professionals with the competencies and expertise required for the digital economy. The Ajira Digital programme aims to foster job creation opportunities for every Kenyan, especially the youth, in a world of ever increasing connectivity

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

The greatest impediment in the adoption of ICTs has to do with, to a large extent, the perceptions and attitudes that people have towards the various platforms which in turn affect usage. Indeed, the increasing risks on online platforms, coupled with the ‘fake news’ phenomenon, have brought new realities.

We recognize the important need to continually sensitize our people to enhance the adoption of information security approaches and new attitudes and culture by citizens.

In line with the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) we now recognise cyber security as a key pillar of national security and in this regard, we have put in place the National Kenya Computer Incidence Response Team/Coordination Centre (National KE-CIRT/CC) that is a multi-agency focal point in the management of cyber security in the country. We continue to equip the KE-CIRT with the necessary tools and support in the execution of its mandate.

We have also enhanced interventions to protect vulnerable groups on the cyber space such as children and ensure that they are safe and derive value from cyberspace. To this end, we have in place a Child Online Protection (COP) programme that seeks to sensitize a broad range of stakeholders on how to safeguard our children online. Kenya continues to work closely with the ITU and other stakeholders in the development of a National Child Online Framework.

We shall continue to work with all relevant stakeholders locally and globally, to not only make Kenya the desired destination of ICT investments, but also generate innovative and agile ICT solutions that will help solve global problems.

As we embrace new frontiers such as the 5G, AI, IoT, Big Data, OTTs, and many others, we are alive to the fact these technologies will never make meaning if we don’t prepare our citizens to have the necessary skills and capability to leverage their immense transformative potential.

Let us therefore remain united in purpose and work together to create an integrated ICT industry that continues to drive economies, close digital gaps and create an ICT atmosphere that supports the Sustainable Development Goals.

Finally Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to take this opportunity to inform you that the government of the Republic of Kenya offers her candidature for re-election to the ITU Council under region D, and therefore seeks the favourable support of Member States during the upcoming ITU Plenipotentiary Conference scheduled to take place from 26^th September to 14^th October 2022, in Bucharest, Romania.

Let me take this opportunity to wish this forum successful deliberations. 

Thank you for your kind attention.