NATIONAL INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS …

1 REPUBLIC OF KENYA. NATIONAL INFORMATION &. COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT). POLICY. BY. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION &. COMMUNICATIONS . JANUARY 2006. TABLE OF CONTENTS. VISION AND MISSION 1. 1. INTRODUCTION .. 2. 2. STATUS OF ICT IN KENYA .. 2. THE POLICY AND REGULATORY 3. 2. CHALLENGES OF ICT IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT .. 4. INTRODUCTION .. 4. POLICY, LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK .. 4. ICT 4. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT .. 5. ELECTRONIC LEARNING .. 5. UNIVERSAL ACCESS .. 6. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS (PPP).

2 6. ELECTRONIC 6. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE .. 7. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT .. 7. ELECTRONIC SECURITY .. 7. ICT 7. ENGENDERING 8. YOUTH AND ICT .. 8. 3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY .. 9. INTRODUCTION .. 9. POLICY 9. STRATEGIES .. 10. 4. 16. INTRODUCTION .. 16. POLICY 16. STRATEGIES .. 17. LICENSING OF BROADCASTING SERVICES .. 19. MARKET 20. SIGNAL 21. DIGITAL BROADCASTING .. 21. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT .. 22. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES .. 22. EQUITY PARTICIPATION & CONTROL .. 22. CROSS-MEDIA OWNERSHIP .. 22. SOCIAL 23. 5.

3 TELECOMMUNICATIONS .. 24. INTRODUCTION .. 24. POLICY 24. STRATEGIES .. 25. TARGETS .. 26. TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIBERALISATION .. 26. i EQUITY 26. MARKET 27. BROADBAND 31. REGIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE .. 32. FACILITY SHARING .. 33. RIGHTS OF WAY .. 33. MULTIMEDIA SERVICES .. 33. STANDARDISATION .. 33. DISASTER 33. TELECOMMUNICATION RESEARCH & 34. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES .. 34. 6. POSTAL 35. INTRODUCTION .. 35. POLICY 35. STRATEGIES .. 35. LIBERALISATION OF POSTAL SERVICES .. 36. MARKET 36. POSTAL 39.

4 PHILATELIC SERVICE .. 39. INTERNATIONAL 40. 7. RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM .. 41. INTRODUCTION .. 41. POLICY 41. STRATEGIES .. 41. 8. UNIVERSAL 44. INTRODUCTION .. 44. POLICY 44. STRATEGIES .. 45. FINANCING UNIVERSAL ACCESS .. 45. ESTABLISHMENT OF ICT CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE .. 46. 9. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY IMPLEMENTATION .. 47. INTRODUCTION .. 47. ROLE OF 47. ICT POLICY ADVISORY SECRETARIAT .. 47. ICT SECTOR REGULATOR .. 48. ICT APPELLATE TRIBUNAL .. 48. ROLE OF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS .. 48. ROLE OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY.

5 48. ROLE OF INVESTORS AND OPERATORS .. 48. ROLE OF CONSUMERS AND USERS .. 49. ANNEX I MARKET - 1 - ANNEX 2 - GLOSSARY OF - 4 - ii VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS. VISION. A prosperous ICT-driven Kenyan society MISSION. To improve the livelihoods of Kenyans by ensuring the availability of accessible, efficient, reliable and affordable ICT services. 1. 1. INTRODUCTION. BACKGROUND. Countries that have harnessed the potential of INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS Technologies (ICTs) have attained significant social and economic development.

6 In addition, they are rapidly transforming into INFORMATION and knowledge-based economies. The Government, therefore, recognizes the role of ICTs in the social and economic development of the nation and has promulgated a NATIONAL ICT. Policy based on the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (2003-2007). This policy seeks to facilitate sustained economic growth and poverty reduction; promote social justice and equity; mainstream gender in NATIONAL development; empower the youth and disadvantaged groups; stimulate investment and innovation in ICT; and achieve universal access.

7 It is based on internationally accepted standards and best practices, particularly the COMESA Model adopted by the COMESA Council of Ministers in March 2003. The policy is based on four guiding principles: infrastructure development, human resource development, stakeholder participation and appropriate policy and regulatory framework. STATUS OF ICT IN KENYA. Kenya has witnessed significant growth in the ICT sector as demonstrated by the number of telephone lines, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the number of Internet users, broadcasting stations, and market share of each one of them.

8 The Government has liberalised the mobile cellular market and currently, there are two mobile cellular operators. Available statistics indicates that there were: (a) 260,000 fixed telephone line subscribers and million cellular mobile subscribers by June 2004, translating into fixed teledensity of per hundred inhabitants for fixed and per hundred inhabitants for mobile against the world average of 19 and 21 respectively. 2. (b) 73 registered ISPs, 16 of which are active, approximately 1,030,000. users and over 1000 cyber cafes and telephone bureaus by June 2005.

9 (c) 16 operational television stations and 24 FM radio stations. (d) Approximately 11,500 public phones installed throughout the country by the year 2003. (e) An estimated 60% of the population have access to television and 90%. have access to radio services. THE POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK. In 1997, the Government released the Telecommunications and Postal Sector Policy Guidelines that created an environment for competition in several market segments and paved way to the enactment of the Kenya COMMUNICATIONS Act of 1998 which repealed the Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Act and established: (a) CCK as the Telecommunications, Radio COMMUNICATIONS and Postal Sector Regulator.

10 (b) NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS Secretariat (NCS) to serve as a policy advisory body;. (c) COMMUNICATIONS Appeals Tribunal;. (d) Telkom Kenya Limited; and (e) Postal Corporation of Kenya. 3. 2. CHALLENGES OF ICT IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. INTRODUCTION. The broad challenge is to harness the potential of ICTs for economic growth and poverty reduction. Specific challenges include lack of a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient skilled human resources. POLICY, LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.