The Information Communication Technology Authority (ITCA) in Kenya has signed a memorandum of understanding with Oracle to raise the level of technical understanding and IT skills required to underpin the development of e-government services in the country.
Based on the Kenya’s National ICT Master Plan, a strategy to make the country an ICT hub that is globally competitive in the digital economy, the MOU deepens the co-operation between Oracle and the ICTA to broaden the IT skills in the region and support the transition of Kenya and its citizens to the digital age.
The organisations will collaborate in the areas of capacity building, ICT literacy and awareness, best practice sharing, enterprise development and innovation. Initiatives will include internship and mentoring opportunities, sharing e-government best practices, corporate leadership activities that benefit the community, as well as enhancing ICT skills development programs and initiatives.
“Oracle welcomes and supports the Kenyan governments’ ICT initiatives to drive Kenya’s digital future and create an environment where all citizens can prosper and succeed,” says country MD for Oracle Kenya, Dr Gilbert Saggia.
“And, as the country prospers in the digital age, Oracle and its Kenyan partners will also prosper as we support both public and private organisations in optimizing their business processes through the implementation of global best-
in-class technology.”
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Dr Fred Matiangi adds: “In order to position ourselves as the ICT leader on the continent we must work towards increasing our capacity. As the government, we have embarked on several initiatives to realize our vision of creating at least 37 commercial 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.”
“For ICT businesses to thrive, we need to build intense business activity around innovations driven by strong policies on research and centre of excellences,” comments Victor Kyalo, acting CEO of the ICT Authority.
“We need to create a robust ecosystem if we are to achieve our mandate as the ICT Authority. Collaborations, like the one between Oracle, and ourselves 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.”