President William Ruto On Monday, December 12, 2022, led the country in marking the 59th Jamhuri day celebrations at Nyayo stadium, with this year’s theme revolving around Technology and Innovation. “Connect, Innovate, Inspire”
“Today we celebrate this Jamhuri in a special way that we have intentionally profiled this Jamhuri to be the Jamhuri of technology and innovation. We have done so deliberately and intentionally because of the huge potential that exists in our technology and innovation space,” he said.
This followed Ruto’s back-to-back meetings with key stakeholders in the tech industry including the presidential launch of Kenya’s Innovation Outlook at Nairobi’s Sarit Expo Centre, as well as a two-day high-level talk on technology and innovation, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre(KICC).
“Our partnership with global tech companies aimed at nurturing the potential of our youth will unlock numerous opportunities online. Our aim is to ensure the youth are equipped with skills that meet international standards.” the President said.
Read: Kenyans Win Big In Huawei’s Global ICT Competition
ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said at the start of the high-level tech discussions at KICC that the government is rolling out programs to aid young people who are computer literate.
According to Owalo, the government is working with both domestic and foreign partners to add 100,000 kilometers to the country’s fiber-optic network.
He claims that the new administration has started providing the public with government-funded internet through state-funded hotspots.
He indicated that the government plans to build Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the ICT and innovation sectors to address all issues within the tech and innovation ecosystems, including training, talent development, placement, and digital job creation.
President Ruto praised Kenyans for embracing technology and innovation, being the focus of the first national day celebrations. He illustrated how crucial the digital and tech sectors are by highlighting the recently established Hustler Fund, which aims to assist small company owners in gaining access to loans as well as creating a culture of saving.
“The platform which supports all the transactions on the Hustler Fund was developed locally, and has opened up access to affordable credit, liberated millions of hustlers from the vicious grip of shylocks and other predatory lenders, and enabled Kenyans of all walks of life to mobilize savings,” he said.
Read: ICT CS Nominee Eliud Owalo’s Plan To Revamp KBC
Among Ruto’s key promises included tech scholarships for everyone that attended the Jamhuri day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium. He instructed everyone at the event to scan a QR code to sign up for tech scholarships.
Ruto added that 11,000 youth from the Kazi Mtaani program would be included in Nairobi’s new greening program to plant trees beginning in January.
“Beginning of January, we are going to hire 11,000 young people to create the army that will green our city” William Ruto stated.
The head of state also commended Nelly Cheboi, a 29-year-old digital entrepreneur who was named the CNN Hero of the year and recognized St. Paul’s University for its innovative talents.
Email your news TIPS to editor@thesharpdaily.com
