Kenya MPs Warn of Delays in Rolling Out 1,450 Constituency Digital Hubs

• Aug 24, 2024

Members of Parliament from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Committee of the National Assembly in Kenya have raised concerns about the potential delays in rolling out 1,450 Digital Hubs across the country's wards due to procedural gaps arising from the delayed finalization of policy guidelines.

The committee, led by Chairperson and Eldama Ravine MP Musa Sirma, noted that the guidelines, which are yet to be finalized, are crucial before the NG-CDF kitty can be used to fund the project spearheaded by President William Ruto.

During a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Information, Communication (ICT) and the Digital Economy, the MPs expressed their concerns about the time constraints and challenged the Ministry and the NG-CDF Board to expedite the finalization of the guidelines for tabling and adoption by the National Assembly.

"Time is not on our side, as our young people are waiting in the Constituencies to get down to work and these pending issues need to be finalized," Sirma stated.

The committee had earlier conducted fact-finding visits to the existing Constituency Digital Hubs across the country, where they noted serious infrastructural and technical challenges that could be addressed through NG-CDF once the guidelines are finalized.

Section 25 (2) (a) of the NG-CDF Act permits constituencies to allocate up to 3% of their total allocation to cater for utility expenses and maintenance of the constituency digital hubs.

The NG-CDF Board Members, led by Chairperson Hon. Olago Aluoch, were also present during the meeting.

The MPs' concerns highlight the importance of the digital hub project, which aims to provide access to digital services and resources in every ward across the country. However, the delay in finalizing the policy guidelines is seen as a potential roadblock to the timely rollout of the initiative.

The finalization of the guidelines and the allocation of NG-CDF funds will be crucial in addressing the infrastructure and technical challenges identified by the committee during their visits to the existing digital hubs. With the involvement of both the Ministry and the NG-CDF Board, the MPs are hopeful that the pending issues will be resolved, allowing the project to move forward and benefit the young people in the constituencies.