PS commissions digital hub in Narok East

The Ministry of ICT has trained 1,200 youths at the Maasai Mara Technical and Vocational College on digital literacy.

The young people are among 450,000 who have been trained by the Ministry of Information Communications and the Digital Economy through the Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA).

Speaking as he launched a Jitume Digital Hub at the college in Narok East Sub-County, ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary (PS), Eng. John Tanui said with the partnership KoTDA, over 450, 000 young people across the country have been trained on digital literacy and 14,000 computers installed in 148 digital hubs countrywide.

The newly launched digital hub is equipped with 50 computers and high-speed internet to enable the users to be effective and efficient when using the machines.

“By January next year, we will have added another 50 computers as the demand is increasing. Also, we are going to install Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), so that the users can continue working even when there is a temporary blackout,” he said.

He was accompanied by the Director ICT Software Development and Digital Services, State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, Evan Gichuki, Narok East Member of Parliament (MP), Ken Aramat and area National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) Chairman, Stephen Punyua, area Deputy County Commissioner, Musa Salat among other senior government officials and leaders.

PS Tanui urged the youth to take advantage of digital space to better their lives and grow the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Narok East Sub- County hub is the second to be launched in the county after the first one was operationalized at Emurua Dikir Technical Training Institute last year.

The government will set up other digital hubs at Narok West Technical Training Institute and Narok South Technical and Vocational College.

“All the digital hubs are open for the members of the public where they come to train for free. Even for the youth who do not have education, they can take advantage of the digital space to earn money,” he underscored.

Among the jobs available online, PS said, are digital content development, where one develops educational, entertaining and informative content on their digital spaces and earns money from that.

“Other jobs include digital marketing, online writing and digital media, where young people are earning money,” he said, adding that all young people should be brought on board as the jobs are enough for everyone.

Eng. Tanui reiterated that the Ministry is working with members of parliament to build digital hubs in all the wards across the county, so that every young person can have the privilege of exploring the digital space at ease.

He underscored the government's strides to improve industrialization saying out of 66 million phones that are in the hands of Kenya, two million of them are locally assembled.

“We started assembling phones last year and already we have made a major strike as two million phones in the hands of Kenyans are locally assembled. This is one great way of unlocking job opportunities for our young people,” he said.

“We want to encourage more investors to invest in electronics not only to serve the Kenyan market but also the international market,” he said.

On his part, MP Aramat revealed he had set aside Sh23 million to construct four digital hubs in his constituency.

Calling on the local communities to take advantage of the technical and vocational college (TVC) in the area, he observed that only 200 students were locals out of the 4,000 students enrolled in the institute.

“Here at Maasai Mara TVC, we are well equipped. We advise our people to take advantage of this college to better their livelihood,” the MP said.