Presentation by ICT Officer from the Ministry of ICT Kenya at the Youth Engagement Summit Mauritius, forming part of the Kenya Country Showcase panel session

1. Youth Engagement in ICT:
The Case of Kenya
Oscar Omondi
Senior ICT Officer
Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology
Dec , 2013

2. Contents
 Introduction
 Youth & ICT in Kenya
 Challenges
 Needs
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3. Governments worldwide have recognized the role that Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) could play in socioeconomic development
Countries especially those in the developed world and some in
developing countries are putting in place policies and plans
designed to transform their economies into an information and
knowledge economy.
The convergence of technologies including telecommunications,
information technology and digital media has created
opportunities for citizens in the African continent to take
advantage of these technologies to meet the needs of the people
in the area of mobile money, print media and automation of
processes for decision making.
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4. Global Trends
Youth are adapting and using these technologies (including telephone,
fax, radio, television, film, computers and the Internet) to meet local
information and communication needs.
In the global information society, young people are often the leading
innovators in the use and spread of information and communication
technologies (ICTs).
ITU 2011 statistics show that 45% of the world’s Internet users are
below the age of 25.in developing countries, 30% of this age group use
the internet compared to 23% of those above the age of 25.
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5. Youth and ICT
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6. Youth and ICT
Incubation programmes
The host organization support emerging ICT businesses and incubate them
towards 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 services
economy, bolstering mobile technology and contributing to the creation of highvalue jobs. Project is being run in partnership with the ICTA
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7. Youth and ICT
Procurement
30% of government procurement by law dedicated to the youth
Professional certification SAP/SW
Partnership between ICTA,SAP and multimedia University.
Scholarship scheme that will bring SAP certification training to hundreds of the
best Kenyan university graduates
Citizens from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular to be considered.
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8. Wezesha
Youth & ICT
‘Wezesha’; a Swahili word that means ‘to enable’.
Financial incentive towards purchasing a laptop for registered
university
The Voucher is worth $120.00 The remaining portion of the
laptop purchase must be met by the student purchaser at the
point of sale
Target: 15,667 laptops
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9. PASHA
Youth & ICT
Digital Village Revolving Fund (DVRF): Advance loans to entrepreneurs to
enable them establish the PASHA centres
Entrepreneurship Training
Technical Support
Ksh 320 million loan facility to support the establishment of Pasha
Centres across the country. This facility finance Kenyan entrepreneurs
willing to set up the Pasha Centres.
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10. TANDAA
Youth & ICT
It promotes the creation and distribution of locally relevant digital
content through the Tandaa Symposium and seed money to ICT
entrepreneurs.
Tandaa is a Swahili word that
means ‘to spread’
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11. KENET
Youth & ICT
KENET is a National Research and Education Network that promotes
the use of ICT in Teaching, Learning and Research in Higher Education
Institutions in Kenya. KENET aims to interconnect all the Universities,
Tertiary and Research Institutions in Kenya by setting up a cost effective
and sustainable private network with high speed access to the global
Internet.
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12. KENET POPs
Youth & ICT
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13. Youth & ICT
KENET Institutional Coverage Map
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14. BPO ICT: Konza Techno City
Youth & ICT
In the economic pillar of Vision 2030, BPO was identified as a key component of
creating jobs and wealth
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15. The Challenge
Young people are often limited from full participation by notions
that their time will come. Final Report and
Recommendations to the Global Knowledge Partnership
(March,2000).
Young people remain an untapped resource in decision-making
No integration of their knowledge, vision and experience
Every technological invention creates two new categories of
poverty: Those who can't (lack of ABILITY) use it and those who
won't (lack of INTEREST, KNOWLEDGE) use it.
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16. 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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17. #End#
Any Question?
Thank you for your attention
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