Kenya courts Chinese telecom giant Guodong for digital infrastructure push

Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, John Tanui, with the Chairperson of Guodong Network Communication Group, Lu Jie, during the meeting.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, John Tanui, with the Chairperson of Guodong Network Communication Group, Lu Jie, during the meeting.

Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the State Department for ICT and the digital Economy, John Tanui, on Thursday, received a delegation from Chinese telco Guodong Network Communication Group to explore areas of collaboration in advancing the East African country’s digital transformation agenda. 

Discussions focused on investment in digital infrastructure, enhancing digital connectivity, the development of smart cities and strengthening the digital economy.

Tanui highlighted the government's commitment to accelerating the country's digital economic transformation, with particular focus on expanding digital infrastructure and connectivity nationwide.

"Kenya is undertaking an aggressive economic transformation, and digital infrastructure is at the centre of it," he said.

Tanui emphasised the need to expand mobile broadband coverage to reach underserved areas, noting that enhanced connectivity is critical to ensuring all Kenyans can participate in the digital economy.

He also pointed to government plans to develop more smart cities, building on progress made at Konza Technopolis, while enhancing e-government services to make public services more efficient and convenient for citizens.

"We are working on digitisation in government so that we build a digital government and a digital country, where our citizens can engage through digital infrastructure," said Tanui.

The Principal Secretary added that the government is keen to leverage partnerships and investment in technology and digital infrastructure to support the country's broader economic transformation agenda.

Guodong Network Communication Group Chairperson Lu Jie expressed the company's interest in strengthening partnership and cooperation with Kenya in areas of mutual interest, particularly in advancing digital infrastructure and transformation.

The talks add to a busy run of China-linked engagements for Kenya's ICT ministry in recent months, including a separate meeting between Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo and China's Ambassador to Kenya, Guo Haiyan, on the same Digital Superhighway agenda, and Kenya's founding membership of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation.

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