Transforming Lives using ICT

To champion and harness ICT to enable efficient and effective access in delivery of public service, for wealth creation and well-being of Kenya

Our Core values are:

1.Integrity: We are trusted to efficiently use our resources to deliver our promise with utmost honest, accountability, and in the most knowledgeable way.
2.Community: We work together and team up with strategic partners to deliver sustain able solutions for betterment of our customers.
3.Thought: Our work is rooted in accurate data, tested knowledge and superb, collaborative thinking.
4.Action: We do the right thing for the right reason at the right time and in the right way.

The following are the functions of the ICT Authority:

1.Set and enforce ICT standards and guidelines for the human resource, infrastructure, processes and system and technology for the public office and public service; and

2.Deploy and manage all ICT staff in the public service;

3.Facilitate and regulate the design, implementation and use of ICTs in the public service;

4.Promote e-Government services;

5.Facilitate optimal electronic, electronic form, electronic record and equipment use in public service;

6.Promote ICT Innovation and enterprise;

7.Establish, develop and maintain secure ICT infrastructure and systems

8.Supervise the design, development and implementation of critical ICT projects across the public service.

9.Implement and manage the Kenya National Spatial Data Initiative

1. Department of Standards

Through the Department of Standards we set and enforce ICT standards and guidelines for the human resource, infrastructure, processes and system and technology for the public office and public service.

2. Department of Innovation

The Department of Innovation undertakes the following; a. Introduce viable ICT Innovations to Government for adoption. b. To receive innovations and products/solutions from all over Kenya. c. To evaluate to qualify their viability and potential to scale. d. To facilitate technical assistance, linkage to markets and marketing expertise, access to: legal guidance, research institutions, investors and hubs directly or virtually through a network of partners and subject matter experts. In collaboration with investment partners, the programme identifies suitable hubs and accelerator programmes for innovators based on their needs.

3. Department of Capacity

The Capacity department facilitates ICT literacy for the citizens. Currently the Department is running The Presidential Digital Talent Programme (PDTP) which provides internship for fresh ICT and engineering graduates who are equipped with hands on skills that boost their entrepreneurial skills as well as increase their chances for employability. Through the programme, the Authority aims at transforming the manner in which ICT is used for effective service delivery in the Government by providing a skilled workforce. This Programme is now on the 5th cycle and so far 1,300 interns have completed their internship through cohort I to IV. The mentoring and coaching of 400 Cohort V interns is ongoing.

4. Project Management Office

The Project Management Office is in charge of the day-to-day implementation of ICT Programmes/ Projects that the Authority is implementing on behalf of the Government of Kenya. They include:

1. 1. The Digital Literacy Programme (DLP)

The Digital Literacy Programme was conceived by the President in the year 2013 and its objective is to equip learners in Kenya with the 2qst century ICT skills. Through the Programme the following activities are carried out:

1. 1. 1. Supply and installation of devices to both learners and teachers in public primary schools
      2. Follow up with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to ensure educational content is available
      3. Ensure schools are connected to national grade (electricity) or solar to enable charging of devices
      4. Ensure teachers get adequate training from Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) with support from our officers
      5. Work with the Ministries of Interior and Education to ensure safety of devices already in schools.
      6. Provide broadband connectivity to schools.
   2. The NAtional Optic Fiber Backbone Infrastructure(NOFBI)
   3. The Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development Facilitation Program (EARTTDFP)

This is a regional initiative jointly financed by the government of Kenya and the World Bank. Through it the following is being carried out:

1. 1. 1. Rehabilitation of dilapidated fibre cables,
      2. New build of 630 kms fibre cable and;
      3. International connectivity by laying fibre cables along Nakodok -Eldoret road

 

5. Information Security Department

The department of Information Security undertakes the following;

1. 1. Develop and implement strategic ICT intelligence security policies, standards, guidelines, plans and procedures for the Government.
   2. Develop and implement a national Government information security incident reporting & response system.
   3. Oversee and enforce ICT security guidelines for Government.
   4. Promote Information security awareness.
   5. Undertake continuous research and development on Information security and provide advise Government.
   6. Provision of security awareness education and ensure that everyone knows his or her role in maintaining security.
   7. Provision of mechanisms that support the security program outlined by the policy.
   8. Assessment and evaluation of risk management on information security.
   9. Ascertain the effectiveness and security of information technology systems.
   10. Monitor inherent security threats on the overall network infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted network service.
   11. Ensure protection of networks, web sites, applications, databases, servers and data centers, and other technologies
   12. Monitor and analyse organization’s security position on need basis to detect, analyse and respond to cybersecurity.

 

6. Applications and Systems Department

The Applications Department undertakes the following;

1. 1. Design and develop citizen-centred e-Services, integrated information management and enterprise systems for efficient and effective service delivery.
   2. Design, develop and Provide guidelines to Ministries, Counties, Departments and Agencies (MCDA’s) for design, business process re-engineering and implementation of e-Government initiatives.
      1. 1. Design and implement Government Information Communication Technology enterprise systems that cut across the public service in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
         2. Design, develop and maintenance of critical data hubs, master data management systems and data warehouses for the public service.
         3. Provision of a “one stop shop” platforms for access to Government services to citizens and businesses.
         4. Conduct assessment of existing systems in different sectors in Government to identify areas of integration and inter-operability of systems in the public service.
         5. ) Provision of fully integrated, distributed and scalable systems across the public service.
         6. Establishment and maintenance of disaster recovery and business continuity programmes.
         7. Collaborate with other stakeholders on the development of E-Government Applications Enterprise Architecture and standards.

 

7. The ICT Infrastructure Department

E-Government ICT infrastructure is a prerequisite to development in any country and the implementation of the infrastructure will unlock the high potential of the ICT sector in the country as an enabler of development. This will in turn create a digital society and economy that is able to exploit the global, regional, national and local opportunities presented by this dynamic sector.

The Infrastructure is strategic in promoting the realization of ICTA vision. The ability to store and exchange data through a centralized communication system, enhanced connectivity, secured information will support the integration of government systems to deliver quality service to citizen.

ICT connectivity to all the unserved and underserved corners of the country is a key prerequisite for transformation towards the realization of the Vision 2030 and the medium-term plans (MTPs).

From the ICT Authority Overall Mandate , this Department is directly responsible for:

1. Facilitating and regulating the design, implementation and use of ICTs in the public service;
2. Establishing, developing and maintaining secure ICT infrastructure and systems;
3. Supervising the design, development and implementation of critical ICT projects across the public service.

The Department has three key functions namely Network Connectivity, Network Operation Centre and Cloud/Data center  as detailed below:

1. Network Connectivity Infrastructure

The connectivity infrastructure covers installation of the network in the submarine, backbone and the last mile:

1. Submarine Cable

Kenya currently boasts of being one of the most connected countries on the eastern Coast of Africa. There are six submarine cables; TEAMS, EASSY, SEACOM, DARE, SEAS and LION that offers connectivity to the rest of the world via redundant routing. Inland, there is a backbone, metro and last mile connectivity that has cut across the country through government National Optic Fiber Infrastructure (NOFBI).

Subsequently, the Government network is connected to the international broadband highway through TEAMS, undersea Fiber cable providing activated internet capacity of 10 Gbps. GoK has a 20% shareholding of 5.2 TB (current capacity of TEAMS).


1. Backbone Infrastructure

The government in the last ten (10) years has built about 8900km of terrestrial fiber that have reached to the sub-county level mainly connecting key government institutions and offices to offer service delivery. Due to connectivity challenges in the delivery of government services through ICT there is a great demand for the government to take connectivity to the ward level for effective service delivery. There is also a huge demand for the government to provide alternative failover routes that will give government network the much-needed redundancy to serve all citizens and address market demands as well as extending broadband connectivity across the country.


1. Last Mile

In the last 10 years the government has built a total of 534km of metro mostly in the Nairobi and County headquarters mainly connecting key public institutions and offices to offer service delivery.

1. Network Operation Centre

ICT Authority installed a Network Operation Centre to manage the growing infrastructure. The NOC functions are as below

• Book all the tickets and manages them until when there are closed
• Configuration of added devices in the network
• Manages the health of the network

The contact of the NOC telephone number 0206676999 or helpdesk@icta.go.ke

(c ) Data Center and Cloud infrastructure

Data Center and cloud are critical ICT infrastructure that ensures E-Government services continuity by protecting critical applications and data against loss that could arise from natural disasters, acts of terrorism, sabotage, and technical faults among others. The Government developed a tier-2 Government Data Center (GDC) infrastructure to ensure the security of Government data, applications and hosting of government critical data.

The GDC houses the power, storage, and applications of the most critical and sensitive data and information necessary to support government services.

The Government is also implementing a disaster facility and Konza Data center (KDC) for data and systems as part of the business continuity plan. This will ensure that the Government services continue to be provided even in case of any disaster at the primary sites. These facilities will also offer an environment for cloud computing for all MCDAs.

Our Successes