Pupils using a laptop. The government should consider how to deploy
technology and infrastructure in a way that increases utility. FILE
By Mbugua Njihia
Different strokes for different folks, and the race to raise the percentage of populations technologically inclined continues.
We have seen an increase in communication
infrastructure and the number of connected devices in Kenya, with many
businesses trying to understand the new mediums in a bid to leverage
them for a larger piece of the consumer pie.
The government is also struggling to pin down its
road map, often times looking confused, based, not on the blueprints and
roadmaps consultatively arrived on with private sector, but on the
decisions made.
Technology must be transparent and choices on the
flavour of technology to be deployed must be informed by the SI unit
that is increased utility.
Certain sectors lend themselves well to
experimentation and research, and the government would benefit from an
effort to distill these outcomes, to not only ensure a more informed
execution of strategy but to also avoid costly mistakes.
Today I choose to frame the questions rather than provide hard and fast answers.
Education
Was the choice of laptops for class one pupils the
best way to get started on the path toward a digital knowledge based
economy or was it the most visible? Is there a better way to meet the
need and increase the utility of the technology and infrastructure that
would be deployed?
Agriculture
How can we increase revenue and quality of output
for small holdings? How do we overcome the challenges of financing and
information dissemination in light of cultural barriers and the
non-scalable extension officer? Do we understand how markets operate
and how to seed and sustain them?
Healthcare
Is there the possibility of a linkage in the
quality of life stemming from our agricultural practices, to mean if we
sort agriculture we address a component of health? What is the logical
start point in an obviously gargantuan ecosystem? Is it facilities,
information or training?
As one size doesn’t fit all, the expression of
utility will be different for various groups with a variety of social
economic factors coming into play.
The service and technology propositions must fit
well within this fragmentation to deliver full coverage as will be
expected by the citizen for any government initiative.
As we celebrate Kenya at 50, let us take time to
ask the right questions that will allow us to frame solutions that will
make the next fifty worth the wait and hope.
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