Kenya, Huawei sign agreement to boost ICT capacity

NAIROBI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya and Huawei on Friday signed an agreement to boost the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capacity in the country.

Joe Mucheru, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs said in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, that under the agreement, a total of 20,000 Kenyans will receive training including 12,500 civil servants over the next three years.

"We appreciate the commitment and support provided by Huawei not only to developing Kenya's ICT infrastructure but also in elevating ICT skills across various levels," Mucheru said during a ceremony where 12 civil servants were awarded for their outstanding performance in the Huawei capacity building program.

Since 2020, Huawei has trained 1,500 civil servants on various aspects of ICT.

He observed that the Huawei training program is the largest of its kind in the country's history and is akin to the software development part of ICT capacity building.

Under the deal, Huawei Kenya Engineering Training Academy will become an authorized training center for ICT skills.

Mucheru said that the pact with the Chinese technology firm follows the country's commitment to increase the number of services that Kenyans can access online in a bid to ease public services and information provision.

Will Meng, CEO of Huawei Kenya said that combining the capabilities of the private sector with those of the public sector has proven to be a successful approach to unlocking the country's potential.

"We believe that providing training to public officers in the use of technology is essential in enforcing many small improvements that have substantial impacts, therefore unlocking the potential of governments," Meng said.