Kenya seeks strategic partnerships to expand its digital infrastructure, improve connectivity, and drive ICT innovation, says Stephen Isaboke, principal secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications.
The announcement follows bilateral discussions in Nairobi between government officials and a delegation from the Zhe Jiang Africa Service Centre, which was led by director-general Frank Xie Q.
"Kenya welcomes partnerships that bring investment, technical expertise and innovation to the ICT sector," said Isaboke, adding that such collaborations should support telecoms infrastructure and expand access to reliable, affordable connectivity for citizens and businesses.
Xie Q, for his part, described Kenya as investment friendly, citing the work ethic of its people, a young and digitally savvy population, and an enabling policy and legislative environment.
The meeting brought together officials from the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications and the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy.
Also present were Zhuo Wu, president of the Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Joram Kanama, secretary for ICT; Temesi Mukani, secretary for information and broadcasting; Alphonce Kanunga, secretary for telecommunications; and Bernard Rotich, secretary for data and digital governance.
The engagement is the latest in a busy run of China-linked courtesy calls on Kenya's ICT ministry in recent months.
Last week, ICT and the Digital Economy permanent secretary John Tanui hosted Guodong Network Communication Group chairperson Lu Jie, with discussions focused on investment in digital infrastructure, connectivity, the development of smart cities and strengthening the digital economy.
Tanui said at the time that Kenya was undertaking "an aggressive economic transformation" with digital infrastructure at its centre, pointing to plans to expand mobile broadband to underserved areas and build on progress made at Konza Technopolis.
That meeting followed a separate engagement between cabinet secretary William Kabogo and China's ambassador to Kenya, Guo Haiyan, on the same Digital Superhighway agenda, as well as Kenya's founding membership of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation.
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