ICT CS William Kabogo with Kennedy Maina in his office, January 30, 2025. /WILLIAM KABOGO/X
Information, Communications and Digital Economy CS William Kabogo has offered to pilot an innovative Wi-Fi system developed by a young man from Kiambu.
The CS said he offered the young man an appoitment for a face-to-face discussion in his office on Friday after he was impressed by his boldness to reach out to him.
"One of Kenya’s youth, Kennedy Maina, reached out and challenged me in the digital space. "Kusalimiwa positively". Impressed by his boldness, I gave him an instant appointment," Kabogo said on X.
In his message to Kabogo, Maina had pointed out that he heard the CS speak about government's initiative of setting up Wi-Fi hotspots in markets, a project that was started a while back.
"Unfortunately, they exist in structure but they are all non-functional. I have a proposal on how they can be made functional at a subsidised fee," part of his message reads.
Kabogo said he was impressed by the idea.
"He amazed me with his startup, a pay-as-you-use public Wi-Fi system as an SME Internet Services Provider (ISP). His idea challenges the government's public Wi-Fi approach," Kabogo said.
During their discussion, Kabogo is heard saying "we can hear you but action speak different. Umenichallenge".
"As a ministry, we will pilot his progressive innovation and idea, by this we aim to create more jobs for our youth," he said.
In August 2023, the government initiated the roll out of over 25,000 free public Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces across the country as part of the digital acceleration programme to extend the internet to remote areas.
The free Wi-Fi was aimed at providing citizens with basic access to the internet to empower and develop themselves and their businesses.
“Public Wi-Fi in spaces like markets, bus and railway stations, tertiary institutions and public parks can serve as a catalyst to improve the economy in many ways,” the then ICT CS Eliud `Owalo said during the launch.
As part of the plan to promote digital literacy and increase employability among the youth, the government also announced plans to create 1,450 digital hubs dubbed ‘Jitume’ with the aim of harnessing skills in a bid to create over one million online jobs for Kenyan youth.
