Kenya launches four-year ICT master plan

The Kenya Ministry of Information and Communication has launched a four-year master plan at a cost of 65 billion Kenyan shillings (US$820.7 million), calculated to enhance the country's ICT standards.

In line with the Kenya Vision 2030 program, the 2008-12 plan recognizes business process outsourcing as the driving force for the sector. As such, the government hopes to establish a BPO park in Nairobi and use marketing, capacity building and incentive development to attract foreign investment.

"The master plan will enhance Kenya's economic competitiveness through utilization of abundant human resources in the BPO sector [and] ensure universal access to ICT for sustainable development through Digital Villages throughout the country," said Bitange Ndemo, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication.

Though Ndemo noted that infrastructure requirements will be met by the fiber-optic cable set to land in Kenya, the plan identifies ICT infrastructure development among its priorities.

Other priorities are development of the broadcast and film industries, as well as content development. Such development should be addressed by public-private partnership initiatives, according to the plan.

The plan has outlined the legal, policy and institutional requirements for success, and such a framework will play a key role in achieving goals and objectives, Ndemo said.