Counties bag Sh2.6b for ICT

By Standard Reporter

World Bank has approved $30 million (Sh2.6b)  for ICT applications to support Nairobi and other counties enhance accountability in their revenue management.

The bank’s directors approved the funds to be channeled through the Kenya Transparency and Communications Infrastructure Project (KTCIP) yesterday.

World Bank Country Director for Kenya, Diarietou Gaye, said the funds would help counties develop master plans for use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to increase their accountability in the management of their resources.

“The innovative use of ICT will reduce revenue leakages and address other gaps in the revenue collection and management systems of the devolved county governments,” she said. “These applications will integrate the counties to the national Government’s Integrated Financial Management Information System and link them to a unified communications system that will enable them to respond to the demand for better services by their citizens.”

Ms Gaye said the new programme would enable the national Government to work closely with county governments to improve their services through ICT reforms and also enhance transparency and good governance in the management of county governments’ affairs.

Arleen Cannata Seed, the Task Team Leader of the KTCIP project, said the information on the money collected and used by the counties will become an important component of the data needed to revitalise Kenya’s Open Data Initiative in Nairobi and the other counties.