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{
    "id": 802098,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/802098/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 155,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kisang",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2263,
        "legal_name": "William Kipkemoi Kisang",
        "slug": "william-kipkemoi-kisang"
    },
    "content": "Thank you Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee on the Budget Estimates. The ICT sector is a major enabler of the Big Four Agenda. For instance, digitisation of houses and medical records will positively impact the pillars of affordable housing and universal healthcare. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the National Insurance Fund (NHIF) is at an advanced stage in terms of rolling out universal biometric system and digitising all their records. Having a weather/climate warning system installed, farmers will be helped to make appropriate decisions. This will improve food security. In the recent past, the Meteorological Department has been able to give us timely and correct warnings on upcoming adverse weather conditions. The Ministry of ICT is setting up two local assembly lines for laptops and other devices to manufacture devices for students. Currently, we have an assembly line at Moi University in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, and another one at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kiambu County. Over the years, the Ministry suffered perennial budget cuts as well as delayed Exchequer releases. If you remember, in the last financial year, during the Supplementary Estimates I, the Budget for the Ministry of ICT was cut by 75 per cent. This hampered the performance of the sector. We have huge pending bills that have resulted from this as well as stalled projects. This hampered implementation of projects under the Ministry as well as delayed service delivery. Among the projects that have suffered the underfunding are the Konza Technopolis City, the completion of the Presidential Digital Programme and the Ajira Programme. In the last Parliament, the Government promised to ensure that all our students in Standard One received the devices but as of this year, we have about 3000 schools that have not received the devices. In Year 2018/2019, the Ministry intends to review the ICT sector and the regulatory framework. It will also roll out 2500 kilometres of National Optic Fibre Backbone Phase II expansion to connect all sub-county headquarters, hospitals and public institutions. The Ministry will also implement the Digital Literacy Programme in 3000 remaining schools. As I had said, we intend to complete the Konza Complex Project Phase I and formulate policies to guide public communication and broadcasting. In the next financial year, the Ministry intends to restructure and reengineer the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) to ensure that it competes like private broadcasting houses. In Financial Year 2018/2019, there is a new policy that intends to have all ICT procurement in Government Ministries and State Corporations centralised under the Ministry of ICT, Communication and Information in order to ensure gain in economies of scale and optimise upon the shared services strategy. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}