State to automate all its services, says Matiang’i

By ROBERT NYASATO

KENYA:  The Government is in the process of automating all its services, a Cabinet Secretary has said.

Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said already the Government had made milestones in automating services in the health and postal sectors.

 “The Government will completely shift to a fully automated system in service delivery to the people,” Dr Matiang’i said in an interview with The Standard.

 He said an ICT master plan for the devolved governments was in its final stages and will act as an interface between counties and the national government.

 Matiang’i urged Kenyans to embrace e-learning, saying it was cheaper and environment-friendly.

 He said pupils would be taught basic computer skills to enable them appreciate ICT as a working tool to cope with the technologically advancing world.

 Acknowledging the Jubilee government rode to power on the premise of digitalisation, Matiang’i said his ministry would support county governments with infrastructure and technical skills to enable them computerise their systems.

 He said the Government had launched national broadband strategy in its digitisation programme, noting 29 counties had been connected with fiber optic cables and plans were underway to cover the remaining counties.