The British Deputy High Commissioner, Dr. Ed Barnett, announced new funding worth Kshs 390 million for the ‘Strengthening Digital Communities’ project. The project aims to bridge the digital divide in Busia and Mandera Counties by enhancing access to digital skills and technology for women, young people, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The announcement was made during the launch of the Community Action Plan and the Agriculture Digital Platform at the Agriculture Training Centre in Busia County.
The project will place a special focus on digital employability by identifying and placing high-potential young women and youth in employability skills, mentorship, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. It will also run community engagement and awareness campaigns to promote cyber hygiene, digital safety, and benefits of digital inclusion. Lastly, the project will develop research outputs, policy briefs, and other materials to inform systemic improvements in ICT policies.
(TOP: The British Deputy High Commissioner, Dr. Ed Barnett and Busia Governor Dr Otuoma).
Speaking at the launch, the Governor for Busia County, Dr Paul Otuoma said: “It is with immense gratitude and optimism that my administration celebrates this significant partnership, and we express our deepest appreciation to the British High Commission for their continued support through the Digital Access Program. This partnership is not just an investment in technology but in the very future of the people of Busia, especially the underserved.
“This support is a cornerstone in our shared vision of a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous society. Through the provision of digital skills and training opportunities, we are confident that the program will benefit some of the most vulnerable and essential segments of our population – women, young people, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs)”.
Speaking at the launch, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Dr. Ed Barnett, said: “Putting young people, women and persons with disabilities at the heart of development is transformative. The UK is committed to working with Kenya to ensure these underserved groups within the population enhance their digital skills and their access to vital services like e-citizen, secure jobs and participate meaningfully in this digital world.
We are delighted to partner with KICTANet on this important project in line with our commitment to supporting digital inclusion globally. We can only go far, together, and I believe by working together, we can ensure that digital opportunities are accessible to everyone.”
Speaking at the launch, the CEO of KICTANet, Dr Grace Githaiga, said: “By empowering marginalised communities with digital skills and resources, we can break down barriers and create a more inclusive and equitable society. This project is about more than just technology—it’s about empowering communities and creating opportunities for those who have been left behind by the digital revolution.
The partnership between the British High Commission and KICTANet will work with various institutions including National Council of Persons with Disabilities, Kenya Society for the Blind (KSB), Technology For Growth (Tech4G) amongst others to ensure digital inclusivity. This will improve livelihoods and foster socio-economic growth in these two counties which currently face significant challenges related to digital exclusion.
During his visit to Busia, the Deputy High Commissioner also visited a community health centre where adolescents aged 15-19 years, are accessing reproductive health services, enabled by a digital platform to tackle HIV infections, AIDS related deaths, and teenage pregnancies. This project that is currently being managed by Tiko, was started with seed funding from the UK government.
The UK government’s Digital Access Programme (DAP) working in partnership with the Kenya Information Communication and Technology Action Network (KICTANet) aims to reach over 190,000 people and 10,000 young people with digital skills contributing to Kenya’s target of reaching 20 million digitally literate citizens by 2027.
The project will collaborate with government agencies, private sector entities, development partners, and local organizations to achieve its objectives. They include the County governments of Busia and Mandera, the Ministry of Information Communication and Digital Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, the Communications Authority, the Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization, National Council Persons with Disabilities, Kenya Society of the Blind (KSB), Technology For Growth (Tech4G), African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), and Generation for Change and Development, among others.
The Digital Access Programme (DAP) is a UK Government flagship initiative that aims to catalyse affordable, inclusive, safe and secure digital access for underserved or excluded populations; and to use this as a basis for a more thriving digital ecosystem. The programme has been in operation in five countries: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia as from 2019 to 2023. Recently extended to 2025.
In Kenya the UK’s Digital Access Programme has helped enhanced government websites like e-citizen and 20 other government websites delivering over 14,000 digital government services. In 2023, together with the Kenyan government, we did a comprehensive accessibility assessment, and we implemented the key recommendations including reviewing the website navigation, content readability, audio-visual elements and interactive features that might impede users with various disabilities. This ensures all websites are accessible by persons with disability.
KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for ICT policy and regulation. The Think Tank is a catalyst for reform in the Information and Communication Technology sector. KICTANet is dedicated to advancing digital rights, inclusivity, multistakeholderism and socio-economic development across Kenya.
Tiko is a non-profit organization leveraging the power of a tech-responsive world to deliver sexual and reproductive health impacts to underserved adolescent girls and young women in urban and peri-urban Africa. They use a tech-powered model to connect otherwise fragmented stakeholders on the ground, such as private and public medical service providers, community-based organizations (CBOs) and pharmacies, so that adolescent girls have access to high quality sexual reproductive health services and products, at no cost to them. The model removes social and financial barriers to care, ultimately empowering girls as agents in their sexual and reproductive health journey.
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