Kenya and Germany’s development agency GIZ are moving to finalise implementation agreements for the second phase of the digital Transformation Centre (DTC II) programme, following feedback from the National Treasury.
Eng John Tanui, principal secretary in the State Department for ICT and Digital Economy, held talks with a delegation from the GIZ, led by Dr Christoph Zipfel, programme director for sustainable economic development.
The meeting, held on Tuesday, also introduced Sylvia Lautenbach as the new programme director and acting programme manager for DTC II. She will oversee the programme’s next phase of implementation.
According to Tanui, discussions focused on finalising the implementation agreements and resolving outstanding tax exemption matters that must be settled before the programme can be fully rolled out.
Tax exemptions are a feature of donor-funded programmes in Kenya. They can allow goods and services procured for a project to be imported or purchased without certain duties and taxes, subject to the applicable approvals.
“Effective international partnerships are critical to accelerating Kenya’s digital transformation agenda and building the institutional capacity needed for a competitive digital economy,” Tanui said.
“The Kenya–Germany partnership remains an important platform for strengthening digital transformation, institutional capacity and the enabling environment for innovation and inclusive economic growth.”
Tanui said both sides had reaffirmed their commitment to the programme’s implementation priorities. The focus now, he added, was on turning the cooperation into “effective implementation and tangible outcomes for Kenya’s digital economy”.
The Digital Transformation Centre is run by GIZ on behalf of the German government. It supports Kenya’s digital economy through collaboration with government, the private sector and start-ups.
The second phase comes as Kenya pursues an ambitious digital agenda anchored in the Digital Master Plan 2022–2032. The plan prioritises digital infrastructure, government services, skills and innovation.
The government has also adopted a national Cloud Policy and the Kenya AI Strategy 2025–2030. An AI and Emerging Technologies Policy and a National Data Governance Policy are under development.
The GIZ talks follow a series of partnerships the ICT ministry has pursued to accelerate this agenda.
Most recently, Tanui backed the launch of a four-month innovation programme by China Mobile International, the University of Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, pairing students with industry mentors.
Germany is one of Kenya’s long-standing development partners, with cooperation spanning sustainable economic development, energy, agriculture and governance, alongside digital transformation.
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