The Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032

Strategies and Action Plans

Author: Ministry of ICT, Innovation, and Youth Affairs of the Government of Kenya

The Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032 outlines a comprehensive strategy to harness digital technology for national development. It builds upon previous initiatives like the 2014-2017 Master Plan and integrates lessons learned to streamline ICT implementation. The plan aims to position Kenya as a regional digital leader, leveraging technology to drive economic growth, improve service delivery, and bridge the digital divide.

The purpose of the Kenya National Digital Master Plan is to provide a cohesive framework for the planning, design, deployment, and management of ICT initiatives across the government and private sectors. It seeks to address previous challenges stemming from uncoordinated and poorly planned ICT initiatives and to provide a clear engagement framework for ICT investors.

By creating a unified plan, the government aims to optimise ICT resource allocation and guide both national and international stakeholders toward investment opportunities that align with Kenya’s long-term digital transformation goals. This purpose aligns with the country’s ambition to become a globally competitive digital economy and improve the quality of life for its citizens.


Objectives

The Master Plan outlines a series of strategic objectives that are framed around its four key pillars. These objectives aim to transform Kenya’s digital landscape:

  1. Enhancing service delivery through ICT:
    • Automating all government services and digitizing records to improve accessibility and efficiency.
    • Developing broadband connectivity, smart city infrastructure, and cloud services to support seamless service delivery.
  2. Expanding ICT access across underserved areas:
    • Deploying ICT infrastructure to rural and underserved areas to bridge the digital divide.
    • Establishing village digital hubs and public internet hotspots to empower local communities and entrepreneurs.
  3. Developing a skilled digital workforce:
    • Training 20 million citizens, including public servants and ICT professionals, in digital skills.
    • Encouraging ethical and socially grounded practices in the workforce.
  4. Promoting ICT industry growth:
    • Supporting the establishment of ICT industries, including electronic manufacturing plants and software development hubs.
    • Expanding the film and media sectors to leverage digital platforms for content creation and distribution.
  5. Strengthening public-private partnerships:
    • Encouraging collaboration between the government and private sector in ICT project design, deployment, and management.
    • Enabling the private sector to play a more active role in the country’s digital development.
  6. Positioning Kenya as a regional ICT hub:
    • Establishing a regional submarine maintenance depot and smart ICT hubs to enhance Kenya’s digital infrastructure and connectivity.
    • Leveraging its strategic position to promote cross-border e-commerce and digital innovation.
  7. Promoting digital commerce and innovation:
    • Implementing a national physical addressing system and supporting e-commerce initiatives.
    • Encouraging the adoption of emerging technologies such as blockchain, IoT, and AI to foster innovation.
  8. Ensuring a secure and sustainable ICT environment:
    • Developing a comprehensive cybersecurity framework to safeguard digital assets and build user trust.
    • Aligning ICT initiatives with policies for resource mobilisation and environmental sustainability.

These objectives collectively aim to create a robust digital ecosystem that empowers individuals, businesses, and the government to harness the full potential of technology for socioeconomic development.


The Master Plan is structured around four key pillars:

  1. Digital infrastructure: This pillar emphasises expanding high-speed internet connectivity across Kenya, deploying 100,000 km of fibre optic cables, and ensuring robust data centres for secure storage and processing of information.
  2. Digital government services and data management: The focus is on digitising government operations to enhance efficiency and accessibility for citizens. It includes initiatives like a unified digital ID system and a one-stop shop for government services.
  3. Digital skills: The plan includes training 20 million citizens, public servants, and ICT professionals to build a skilled workforce that can utilise and innovate with digital technologies.
  4. Digital innovation and enterprise: It aims to foster innovation by supporting startups, developing ICT manufacturing industries, and integrating emerging technologies like AI and blockchain into public and private sectors.

The plan also incorporates foundational and cross-cutting themes such as cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure sustainable and secure ICT development. Its implementation is expected to enhance productivity, create jobs, and enable Kenya to achieve its Vision 2030 and broader developmental goals.

The Digital Master Plan contains extensive references to AI. It starts from acknowledging that ‘AI technologies and capabilities will be the in thing in the next 5–10 years and Kenya cannot afford to be left behind or to be the late laggards’ and sets as an objective the development of an AI master plan to encourage the research, development, and deployment of AI solutions ‘to solve local problems while exporting the same capabilities to other countries’. The plan also envisioned strengthened international partnerships with leading R&D actors in the emerging technologies space, to facilitate technology transfers and attract foreign direct investments.