The ICT and telecoms regulator Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has today launched its five-year Strategic Plan for the period covering 2023-2027. The plan, developed with a core vision of ‘Digital Access for All’, and focused on making high-quality communication services accessible, affordable, and reliable for all Kenyans, will cost the authority Kshs 88.6 billion to implement over the 5-year period.
About Kshs 15.35 billion will be spent in the first year of implementation of the Strategic Plan, Kshs 19.34 billion in the second year, Kshs 20.82 billion in the third year, Kshs 15.3 billion in the fourth year, and Kshs 17.8 billion in the fifth year. The funds budgeted for include both administrative and project costs.
Through responsive regulation, the plan will enable a sustainable digital society. It is also people-centric, embraces market-oriented strategies, and relies on evidence-based practices.
While launching the document, CA director general David Mugonyi noted that unlike previous plans, the 2023 – 2027 strategic plan is focused on people.
“We believe Digital access to all Kenyans is possible and that our mission is to enable the development of a sustainable digital society through responsive regulation of Kenya’s ICT sector,” said Mugonyi. “This plan rests on four cardinal pillars: promotion of meaningful connectivity to ICT services, empowerment and protection of ICT consumers, fostering competitive ICT markets and emerging technologies, and; enhancement of organizational efficiency and effectiveness.”
In order to drive the successful execution of the Strategic Plan, whose budget has been estimated to be Kshs 88.6 billion over 5 years, the Authority has designed a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting system. The framework plays a pivotal role in the Authority’s ability to vigilantly track progress, assess performance, and make data-driven decisions throughout the Plan’s implementation. It forms the bedrock upon which the Authority will measure strategic objectives, intended outcomes, and planned activities. The comprehensive evaluation framework encompasses both mid-term and end-of-term evaluations, ensuring a thorough assessment at critical stages.
To realise their overall mission and meet their goals, the current CA board and management team has committed itself to surpass the previous board when it comes to the implementation of the 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan, aiming at very high targets.
“The authority achieved a score of 72% in the implementation of the previous strategic plan. Our target for this strategic plan is 95%. The strategic plan we are launching today seeks to build on previous achievements. It has a built in risk management module. We have mapped out potential mitigations because this plan cannot be derailed, delayed or disrupted,” said Mugonyi.
During the plan’s implementation period, the CA board will provide overall oversight while the Management committee will be responsible for
implementation of the Plan. This will include undertaking regular reviews of the status of implementation of the Plan. The Management Committee will coordinate the implementation efforts by departments, evaluate the milestones achieved and provide comprehensive reports to the Board.
The CA funds its operations from revenue generated from its regulatory mandate, with the main drivers of revenue generation being: Frequency spectrum fees payable by all operators assigned different bands of frequency to provide services (including telecom service providers for mobile, fixed, voice and internet services, as well as providers of private communication networks; and multi-media service providers such as broadcasters), Annual operating licence fees payable by all licensees to the regulator (except technical personnel, contractors and vendors), Finance income earned from financial investments, and Income generated from penalties and fines (including rental income and periodic disposal of idle assets).
In addition to the above revenue streams, CA also manages the USF, whose revenue is generated through a levy payable by licensees in the ICT sector.
During the 5-year Strategic Plan period, the CA projects that it will generate Kshs 117.367 billion in revenues to finance the planned activities. The regulator will also mobilize resources from external partners to fund some activities where there is a shortfall.
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