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Feature: Kenyan expert hails partnership with Huawei to boost security in cities

Xinhua, October 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The partnership between Kenya's ministry of internal security and Huawei that involves installation of surveillance cameras in major cities has contributed to reduction in crimes, a technology expert has said.

Dr. Bitange Ndemo, the former Permanent Secretary in the ICT ministry noted that high end technology supplied by Huawei has enhanced the capacity of Kenya's security personnel to respond to urban crime and terrorism.

"Since the partnership between the interior ministry and Huawei commenced, we have witnessed rapid integration of technology to modernize policing in the light of new security threats," Ndemo told participants at Hawaii's safe city summit held in Nairobi on Oct.14-15.

He was the architect of Kenya's digital revolution that accelerated early this decade.

During his tenure as the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of ICT, Ndemo facilitated digitization of key government functions like security, health and education.

He lauded deployment of Huawei's state of the art technology in the security docket terming it a milestone in the war against urban crime.

"Kenya is currently in the same league with South Africa in terms of adoption of technology to boost surveillance, detection and reporting of threats to public security," said Ndemo.

He noted that installation of surveillance cameras by Huawei along major streets and highways has enabled police obtain real time data on crime trends.

"We must leverage on technology to create safer cities and the partnership between Huawei and our interior ministry is a step in the right direction," Ndemo told Xinhua.

He added that big data has revolutionized policing and traffic management in big cities.

The installation of surveillance cameras that transmit real time images to a command center manned by police officers has led to 46 percent reduction in urban crime.

Shaka Kwach, the head of Special Projects at Kenya's leading technology solutions provider Safaricom, noted that police are relying on real time data transmitted by cameras to nab and prosecute criminals.

"Improved security in our big cities is good for investments and healthy relationship among communities," Kwach said. Both Huawei and Safaricom have participated in the roll out of broadband infrastructure in Kenya. Endit