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Kenya focuses on big data to accelerate sustainable development

Xinhua, August 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Kenyan government will partner with industry and academic institutions to strengthen data collection, storage and deployment in order to accelerate socioeconomic progress, officials said on Tuesday.

Victor Kyalo, CEO of Kenya ICT Authority, a government body which fosters development of ICT, said that effective data collection and analysis underpins sound policy discourse to address social challenges like poverty, inequality, disease and crime.

"The government has embraced big data to promote evidence based interventions on socioeconomic challenges. Production and consumption of timely and accurate data is in line with vision 20130 blue print," Kyalo said.

He spoke at a media briefing to announce the national forum on harnessing data revolution to promote sustainable development that will be held in Nairobi from Aug. 28 to 29.

The office of deputy president in partnership with private sector and research agencies has organized the two-day forum to discuss role of big data in catalyzing socioeconomic transformation.

Kenya has earned global recognition for spearheading data revolution to promote sustainable development. Kyalo noted Kenya is the second African country after Morocco to launch open government portal that provide timely data on key topics like education, health, agriculture and social security.

"We are harnessing data to address cross cutting themes like climate change, inclusivity, public finance management and innovation," Kyalo said, adding that Kenyan government has been generating reams of data that is stored in the cloud to enhance access to consumers.

Korir Sing'oei, senior Legal Advisor at the Office of the Deputy President, said the government will leverage on the current data revolution to drive economic growth.

"Data gathering, storage and dissemination is no longer a monopoly of the public sector. We are encouraging partnership with industry, academia and nonprofit group to promote data access," Singo'ei said.

He added that state agencies have tapped into big data to track progress in millennium development goals. Endit