The Government intends to partner with community based organizations and private institutions in enhancing the uptake of information technology through the establishment of innovation hubs.
ICT Secretary, Dr Katherine Getao, said the move will also incorporate county governments in providing access to internet connectivity and IT products including online jobs.
The ICT Secretary was speaking at the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) in Nakuru when she presided over the 5th Ajira training where she represented the ICT Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Joe Mucheru.
Dr. Getao said that the government had initially hoped to partner with Members of Parliament in establishing Constituency Innovation Hubs and had even sensitized them on the Ajira concept but the uptake was a bit slow.
“We are targeting churches and county governments to partner with the National Government in providing space to set up the IT centres, with the government providing relevant technology and WI-FI connectivity,” she added.
She noted that current global trends heavily relied on IT and that government was keen to review products and training regimes in the sector so that the country’s youth may remain market oriented.
Dr. Getao challenged the youth to position themselves to benefit from the opportunities available in the online market while also exposing their peers who have not benefited from the Ajira programme to the same market, adding that the online market has an insatiable demand for online workers.