Kenya’s Information Communication Technology Authority (ICTA), has signed a memorandum of understanding with Oracle in a bid to improve the penetration of IT skills in Kenya.
Under the eGoverrnment services, Kenya’s ICT sector has leapfrogged opponents in the continent and as more technology companies continue trooping to the country, the ICT sector has continued to grow with many app developers and tech start-ups joining the foliage.
Kenya’s National ICT Master Plan strives to make the country the ICT hub and a globally competitive nation and according to Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Dr Fred Matiang’i there is need to grow the ICT capacity and bank on partnerships to be able to rank among the world best.
“To position ourselves as the ICT leader on the continent we must work towards increasing our capacity,” he said. “As the government we have embarked on several initiatives to realize our vision of creating at least 37 commercialised ICT companies in the next few years.” “We cannot deliver on this goal single-handedly, we need the collaboration of the private sector and academia to scale, which is why the initiative between ICT Authority and Oracle is so important. I commend Oracle for their focus on investing on enhancing the ICT capacity of Kenyans.”
Country Managing Director for Oracle Kenya, Dr Gilbert Saggia lauded the government for the efforts towards digitalisation of the economy and promised support from the technology giant in all aspects. “We welcome and support the Kenyan government’s ICT initiatives to drive Kenya’s digital future and create an environment where all citizens can prosper and succeed,” noted Dr Saggia. “Oracle and its Kenyan partners will also prosper as we support both public and private organizations in optimizing their business processes through the implementation of global best-in-class technology.”
Through ICTA, Kenya has been looking for partners in IT to help build capacity and create an IT-based ecosystem that can contribute positively towards realization of Vision 2030. “For ICT businesses to thrive, we need to build intense business activity around innovations driven by strong policies on research and centre of excellences,” remarked Victor Kyalo, Ag. CEO, ICT Authority. “We need to create a robust ecosystem, if we are to achieve our mandate as the ICT Authority.
Collaborations, like this one with Oracle are the only way we will be able to achieve success in the sector. I commend Oracle for helping to ensure that teachers and lecturers are also equipped with requisite ICT skills. We need to increase the number of trainers and training facilities in Kenya if we are to achieve our vision of a digital economy.”
