“SMART COUNTY” ON THE HORIZON AS COUNTY GOVERNMENT SIGNS MOU WITH A LEADING TECH COMPANY
The building and fulfilment of the state-of- the-art Smart County in Kakamega moved a notch higher today when senior County Government officials and their counterparts at the China Comservice Kenya Ltd and Ahadi Africa Digital Promise (CCS-AHADI) formally appended their signatures to an MOU.
The CECM for ICT, e-Government and Communication, Dr. George Akolo Lutomia said the company’s technical team should start rolling out the project immediately in order to live up to Kakamega County’s reputation as a working and focused devolved unit.
Establisment of Communication hubs in community areas, universities, polytechnics, municipalities, stadia and selected public areas will be prioritized to connect users to Wi-Fi and internet and create jobs through e-commerce and other digital platforms.
Dr. Lutomia said Kakamega County being the largest rural county with a high population stands to gain immensely from digital resources.
These sentiments were emphasized by the CECM for Roads, Infrastructure and Energy Dr. Collins Matemba and the County Secretary and Head of Public Service, madam Jacinta Aluoch Odhiambo. They said the project will tie in well with the ongoing Ajira project being spearheaded by the national government in collaboration with devolved units.
In his remarks, Mr. Tiger Zhou, the director of AHADI Africa Digital Promise said his company had the requisite experience to build a cost effective and high quality wireless broadband network across the County to ensure that residents enjoy ample space for work and play.
Later, the team visited Kakamega County Polytechnic to assess conditions on the ground for building the infrastructure and uptake of digital services.
Also present were the CECM for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Joseph Ogonyo Indire, the County Attorney, Mr. Moses Lukale Sande, the Chief Officer for ICT, e-Government and Communication, Mr. Eugine Wamalwa Milimo, AHADI official, Mr. Charles Omolo and CCS-AHADI finance and strategy advisor, Mr. Ling.