The use of Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) in government operations has been on the rise globally, and Kenya is no exception. The adoption of technology has not only transformed the way we live, work and communicate but also enhanced the ease of doing business across various sectors. In Kenya, County Governments have made significant strides towards mainstreaming ICT in their functions to improve service delivery and efficiency in their operations.
It is against this backdrop and the need for concerted efforts in driving the digital transformation agenda in the country, that the Council of Governors (CoG) ICT and Knowledge Management Committee held a high-level meeting with key stakeholders in the ICT sector in Mombasa County, on 27th March 2023. The meeting brought together the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communication and The Digital Economy – Mr. Eliud Owalo, Governors of the ICT and Knowledge Management Committee, Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), the ICT Authority, Mastercard Foundation, and Konza Technopolis among other partners. This meeting came as a precursor to the induction of the County Executive Committee Members in charge of ICT held from 28th – 31st March 2023 under the theme 'ICT for improved service delivery at the County level'.
Speaking during the meeting, the CoG ICT and Knowledge Management Committee Chair H.E. Wisley Rotich lauded County Governments for the efforts made so far in integrating ICT into their functions.
“ICT mainstreaming involves automating manual processes with cutting-edge technologies to improve efficiency and effectiveness. We need to leverage ICT to make government services available to all Kenyans across the country and create jobs,” said Governor Rotich.
“The digital platform is the way of tomorrow and those who do not board will remain behind the rest of the world in the next few years. All vital sectors of the government and economies should make synergized efforts to pull together during this digital migration and in the future,” added CS Eliud Owalo.
County Governments have mainstreamed ICT in various functions including financial management, citizen service delivery and data management systems across various sectors such as health, education, and agriculture. In partnership with the National Government, all County Governments are under the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), a system that automates financial management processes such as budgeting, procurement, accounting, and reporting. The system has been implemented in all counties and has significantly improved financial management, reduced fraud, and enhanced accountability.
The integration of ICT in County Government operations has resulted in improved service delivery to citizens, enhanced transparency, improved decision-making through data analytics and visualization, cost-effectiveness due to reduced paperwork and manual processes, and improved communication and collaboration between County officials and citizens.
Further, County Governments have adopted open data policies that make public data available to citizens. The Council of Governors is currently developing the Open County data portal that will provide data for all the devolved sectors.
Overall, the implementation of ICT has undoubtedly enhanced the delivery of services and citizen engagement in devolved units. However, more needs to be done to ensure that all citizens, especially those in rural areas, can access and benefit from these technologies.