According to the State Department, the programme was developed to address longstanding challenges facing community digital centres, many of which struggled to remain operational due to insufficient funding for electricity, internet connectivity, maintenance and management.
Kenya’s State Department for ICT and Digital Economy has reported significant progress in implementing the Digital Hubs Programme, an initiative aimed at establishing a digital hub in every ward across the country to expand digital access and opportunities.
The update was presented by Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, during an engagement with the National Assembly NG-CDF Committee, where discussions focused on accelerating the rollout of the programme, strengthening management structures and promoting public-private partnerships for digital skills training and employment opportunities.
According to the State Department, the programme was developed to address longstanding challenges facing community digital centres, many of which struggled to remain operational due to insufficient funding for electricity, internet connectivity, maintenance and management.
The government said the initiative gained momentum following a meeting convened by President William Ruto, which led to amendments to the NG-CDF Act. The changes allow constituencies to establish digital hubs at the ward level and allocate up to 3% of NG-CDF funds to support their operational costs, creating a sustainable funding model for grassroots digital infrastructure.
The State Department reported that 588 Digital Hub sites have been committed nationwide, moving Kenya closer to its goal of establishing one digital hub in every ward. It also announced the completion of procurement for 10,000 locally assembled desktop computers, which will equip the first 100 pilot digital hubs while supporting local manufacturing.
In addition, procurement of another 10,000 desktop computers under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP) is in its final stages, while the acquisition of 2,222 Exchequer-funded desktop computers is currently underway. Construction is also progressing on 46 Centres of Excellence and 40 Standard Digital Hubs.
The government said the digital hubs will serve as centres for digital skills development, innovation, artificial intelligence, software development, entrepreneurship, online work, e-commerce and access to government digital services. The programme is expected to help ensure that young people, innovators and businesses across all parts of Kenya can participate fully in the country’s growing digital economy.
The Principal Secretary also acknowledged the support of the National Assembly NG-CDF Committee, chaired by Hon. Musa Sirma, as well as the ICT Committee, for their oversight and commitment to advancing the nationwide digital infrastructure programme.
