In an article by World Economic Forum (WEF) on how digital transformation is driving economic change, they highlight how we live in a time of
exciting technological innovations. And that digital technologies are driving transformative change.According to WEF, economic paradigms shift, and innovative technologies are reshaping the products and factor markets. The changes are profoundly altering the business and work environment.
But a country without a digital masterplan cannot exploit emerging technology-assisted economic opportunities easily. Kenya took a leap of faith with her master plan launched at the Connected Kenya Summit 2022.
The launch at Leisure Lodge in Diani was like a high school reunion, with so many technology enthusiasts attending despite the Sh60,000 registration fee, thanks to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
The ICT Cabinet Secretary (CS) Joe Mucheru attended the launch alongside his Ugandan counterpart, Frank K. Tumwebaze.
Labour and Social Protection CS Simon Chelugui, CS, spoke on the future of work, emphasising the importance of matching the supply and demand of skills as a strategy for creating decent jobs for the youth.
In his address, Mr Mucheru gave an elevator pitch of the masterplan. He underscored the significant role of ICTs in creating jobs and becoming an enabler of innovation and economic development.
The plan details 19 flagship projects that could potentially shape the national dialogue on economic development: accelerating automation of government service, enhancing digital literacy programmes for all citizens, expanding infrastructure to reduce the digital divide, and building robust cybersecurity for the region.
Further, the masterplan seeks to harmonise and enact policies and legislation to ease ICT businesses in Kenya.
It also supports the establishment of software and electronic manufacturing plants to spur job opportunities, increase e-commerce business by finalising the National Physical Addressing System project, and effectively help manage the emerging e-waste problem.
Speeches have always been great, but our Achilles’ heel is in collaboration with other ministries. For example, higher education institutions (HEIs) are at the centre of ensuring that their supply of graduates meets industry demand.
As a result, there are thousands of unemployed youths with university degrees. Yet, thousands of technology jobs remain vacant for a lack of skills.
Although the ministries of ICT and Labour have pointed out the missing link in addressing the employability of the youths, the Ministry of Education was left outside the conversation.
Yet, it is part of the jigsaw the country must solve. The problem, therefore, lies in the Education Act, which entails more about the form rather than substance.
Further, despite the abundance of data in education, decisions are also not data-driven.
For example, despite relevant innovations in many university incubators, the regulatory environment remains prescriptive and unaware of what demand dictates.
Although there are no universally agreed-upon indicators for measuring the performance of HEIs, we can at least agree that there is a need to focus on quality and outcomes.
Metrics like the student/lecturer ratio and employability of graduates could force the institutions to ensure that they understand industry demands even if the regulator does not intervene. The masterplan might also face another risk.
If the new government elected in August fails to honour what is already underway, there is not much the current administration can do. But the stakeholders have the power to ensure that some of the initiatives remain on course.
As clearly explained by Zia Qureshi, the director of strategy and operations at the World Bank, in the book, Shifting Paradigms: Growth, Finance, Jobs, and Inequality in the Digital Economy, new technologies hold great promise by creating new avenues and opportunities for a more prosperous future, but they also pose unique challenges.
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