viii Executive Summary The Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology’s Strategic Plan spells out key policy actions, legal and regulatory frameworks, institutional reforms, programmes and projects that will be implemented in the 2013-2017 medium term plan period. The Plan takes into consideration the requirements of the Kenya Constitution, 2010, and the Second Medium Term Plan (MTP2) of the Kenya Vision 2030 Long Term Blue Print. This Strategic Plan promises effective utilisation and application of ICTs across multi-faceted service delivery and internal government operations with a view to achieve the goals of Vision 2030. The Plan is based on assessment and analysis of current social-economic, political and environmental climates and the past performance in order to ensure that national aspirations, stakeholder requirements and global best practices are taken into account. The Plan starts by presenting the background of the ICT sector and its status in chapter one. It identifies the vision as “Kenya as a globally competitive knowledge-based economy” while the mission is “To facilitate universal access to ICT infrastructure and services within the country”. The plan spells out the mandate and the goal of the ministry. The chapter also reviews the performance of the sector during the first Strategic Plan period 2008-2013 and builds on the results to ensure that completed projects are well utilised while those on-going are completed in the second MTP period. Emerging issues, challenges and lessons learned area also highlighted. Situation analysis is dealt with in Chapter two. A detailed environmental scan has identified internal and external factors that are likely to influence the ministry’s activities and incorporates them in the development strategies. Following a review of the ministry’s functions, recommendations are made on merging certain functions under internal departments or with others under different ministries to remove overlaps and duplication. The chapter ends with a SWOT and sector related challenges analysis. Chapter three and four details the national development agenda and the role of ICT. Chapter three highlights priority areas to be addressed under the second medium term plan, including the Kenya Constitution 2010, devolution issues, security, equity and governance. Stakeholder analysis is also discussed. Chapter four details the sector’s flagship and other projects to be implemented in the second MTP period. In line with the Vision 2030 overarching goal of making Kenya a middle income nation by the year 2030, Chapter five defines the ministry’s strategic areas, objectives and strategies and its overall goal of strengthening the foundation of a competitive knowledge-based economy by tackling the under-listed strategic areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Policy, legal, regulatory and institutional reforms National Broadband Connectivity Network Digital economy and government ICT capacity Strong public private partnership (county and regional integration) Content and application development Employment and wealth creation Mainstreaming of crosscutting issues From the above strategic areas, the plan proposes various programmes and projects that will be implemented during the plan period. First to enhance business environment within the sector, the ministry will develop, review and amend policy, legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks to spur growth. Proper formulation and review of policies, legal and institutional frameworks will play a key role to achieve the objectives and goals of the Plan. Other key programmes to be implemented in this strategic area include restructuring of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK); rolling out of the Digital Government Initiative and the National Electronic Payment System; roll out of the 4G network and broadband connectivity and public information and communication management. To improve broadband connectivity, the Government will continue to build high-speed broadband national ICT Infrastructure comprising the Backbone Infrastructure Network and the Long-term Technology Evolution (LTE) network projects, among others. On a digital economy and government, the plan proposes to improve access to ICTs, develop critical mass of local ICT skills and secure all networks and facilities in the country. The Government also proposes to create ICT centres of excellence, incubation hubs and labs, develop ICT skills data banks, develop industry-based curriculum and modernise ICTs training facilities. To enhance equity and equality, the ministry will promote county and regional integration through harmonisation of ICT strategies. A county liaison office at the ministry’s headquarters will be established. The plan proposes to streamline the management of public information and communication through