Objective O12: Grow and monitor the local ICT industry Strategy S1: Develop standards and guidelines for software and hardware manufacturing that are internationally recognised and accepted as best practises. ‘Strategy S2: Support Kenyan ICT companies through local procurement and export promotion frameworks’ Strategy S2: Support Kenyan ICT companies through local procurement and export promotion frameworks. Many Kenyan ICT firms stress that they are often at a disadvantage in tendering processes. Tenders are often configured to require or encourage formal guarantees, foreign backers, or large capital resources (ibid.). Although the government has set aside 30% of all public procuremrnt spend to small and medium enterprises owned by the youth, persons with disability and women by amending Public Procurement and Disposal (Preference and Reservations) (Amendment) Regulations, this is not enough. Purposeful support to local firms will be achieved through the following actions: • Draft and promote the passing of an “Economic Empowerment” law (cf. Zambia) that promotes involvement of local companies in all Government procurements. • Develop and implement a growth framework that complies with the law in giving ethical and competent Kenyan companies pre- qualification and preference in ICT procurements in Ministries and Counties. This will include review of the stringent requirements that knock out local companies, e.g. three year trading history, capital requirements, bid bonds, etc. • Reward Kenyan companies that implement excellent projects in an ethical manner with preferential classifications and opportunities to join Government delegations on marketing trips in the region and across the globe. e-Waste Policy. • Forming and managing an effective partnership with KenGen and KPLC to fast track the provision of sustainable energy throughout the country to provide sufficient, clean energy for growth of use of ICT. With this strategy, we expect successful implementation of NEMA’s commercial e-waste management programme and Government’s digitization programme. Strategy S4: Provide incentives to promote digital local content development. This can start with the Government showing commitment to encouraging consumption of local content (Buy Kenya, Build Kenya; Brand Kenya) while providing incentives producing and exporting digital content. In addition, the Government needs to create a platform for private sector to develop digital local content. Strategy S5: Categorize ICT as a stand-alone sector with its own classification standards. The International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) or OECD classification standards may be customised for this new economic sector. Although KNBS has started migrating from the ICT indicators in ISIC Rev. 3.1 to those in ISIC Rev. 4, the ICT sector indicators that need to be customised are shown in Annex 3. Additional ICT indicators in health and government from Mauritius have been included. ‘Strategy S4: Provide incentives to promote digital local content development’ Strategy S6: Facilitate data collection on ICT as an economic sector by relevant Government Departments and Agencies. This will enable the line State Department measure the delivery of set targets of this ICT Master Plan. In this connection, the ICT State Department will need to work with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the Planning State Department to collaborate in data collection, monitoring and evaluation respectively. Strategy S3: Form effective partnerships to create an excellent growth environment for local ICT companies. This will be achieved through the following actions: • Forming and managing an effective partnership with the National Environmental Management Agency to implement the National ..94 .................................................................................................................Towards ...............a...Digital .............Kenya ............ 95 Towards a Digital Kenya ..............................................................................................................................................................