The Government has stepped up efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure to expand connectivity, spur the digital economy and drive economic growth.
Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke said digital infrastructure is no longer simply a technology issue, but a critical foundation for the economy and the delivery of essential services.
Speaking while opening the fourth edition of the ITW and Datacloud Africa Conference in Nairobi, Isaboke called for greater focus on the security, reliability and resilience of the infrastructure underpinning Africa’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
“Digital infrastructure is no longer simply a technology issue. It underpins our economy and the delivery of essential services, and when it fails, the impact extends to livelihoods and public trust,” Isaboke said.
Isaboke said Kenya’s infrastructure expansion must go hand in hand with measures to ensure digital systems can withstand physical, technological and environmental disruptions.
The conference also comes as African economies seek to deepen their participation in the global digital economy and capture greater value from the rapidly expanding demand for digital services.
He said global event will provide Kenya with an opportunity to engage investors and infrastructure players on opportunities emerging from the continent’s digital transformation.
He identified route diversity, cybersecurity, reliable power, sound data governance and infrastructure resilience as critical considerations as Kenya expands its digital infrastructure and seeks to attract further investment into the sector.
His remarks come amid rising demand for digital infrastructure across Africa, driven by increasing internet adoption, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data-intensive services and the wider digitisation of economies.
Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy Eng. John Tanui, who represented the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy William Kabogo, outlined the broader economic vision underpinning Kenya’s digital transformation agenda.
Speaking during a Ministerial Breakfast, Tanui highlighted Kenya’s connectivity roadmap, spanning submarine cable infrastructure, terrestrial networks and continental integration, and positioned connectivity as a foundation for Africa’s participation in the global digital economy.
Tanui urged delegates to play a leading role in ensuring Africa captures greater value from the digital economy.
“You will be the ones to enable Africa to claim its rightful share of global economic output,” Tanui told the delegates.
Tanui underscored the government’s focus on moving beyond connectivity towards leveraging digital infrastructure as an enabler of investment, innovation, job creation and economic growth.
PS said Kenya now is building robust infrastructure capable of supporting the next generation of digital services, including cloud platforms, artificial intelligence and data-intensive applications.
The week-long ITW and Datacloud Africa Conference attracted nearly 2,000 technology, government and business leaders from more than 80 countries, underscoring the growing strategic importance of Africa’s digital infrastructure sector and Nairobi’s emergence as a major hub for connectivity, cloud computing, data centres and technology investment.
It also brings together government officials, investors, technology companies, infrastructure operators and international industry stakeholders to examine opportunities across connectivity, cloud computing, data centres, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.
Among the key dignitaries attending the conference is Hon. Adji Ali Salatou, Minister of Communication and New Information Technologies of the Republic of Niger, alongside senior government and industry representatives from across Africa and international markets.
