ICT and Digital Innovation Cabinet Secretary nominee Dr Margret Nyambura Ndung’u has pledged to make internet more accessible and affordable to the Kenyan people.
In a video interview seen by the Star, Ndung’u promises to improve accessibility in both the urban and rural parts of the country.
“If I get this position, my priority areas will be first to address the issues of access and affordability of internet services across the country,” she said.
Ndung’u added that she would also want to focus on the gender digital divide, which she said is very prominent.
“The other thing I would want focus on is child online safety, we are all going digital but we are forgetting the child that needs to be protected,” she stated.
Further, she said cyber security, data protection and ethical behaviour within the digital space will also be her focus.
President William Ruto nominatd Ndung’u as Eliud Owalo’s replacement in the ministry.
She is an Information Scientist with over 20 years of work experience in research and project management gained from NGOs, private sector and academia.
Ndung’u holds a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Nairobi (UoN).
Her doctoral thesis explored how new technologies contribute to the quality of life for low-income households in Kenya, integrating insights from both information systems and development studies disciplines.
She holds an MBA in Management Science also from UoN. For her undergraduate, Dr. Ndung’u studied BSc. in Information Sciences at the Moi University.
She did her Postdoctoral Fellowship at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), in Pretoria, South Africa.
She has worked on national and regional projects funded by IDRC, Worldbank, NEPAD, International Trade Center and Vodaphone among others. In the past, she has consulted for Kenya ICT Authority.
Currently, she is the lead Kenya Partner for Research ICT Africa, where she oversees, manages and coordinates country research projects.
