Kenya’s ICT Authority has new acting CEO.
Mr. John Sergon takes the CEO tasks from Mr. Robert Mugo who has headed the corporation in acting capacity for more than two years. Mr. Mugo took over from Victor Kyalo who made a move to the Ministry of ICT as Permanent Secretary.
Prior to the appointment, Mr. Sergon was the Director of ICT in the Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
Mr. Mugo, on the other hand, has rolled back to his earlier post (Director Shared Services at ICT Authority) before his appointment as acting CEO in January 2016.
Established in 2013, ICT Authority is tasked with rationalizing and streamlining the management of government-related ICT functions. The state corporation is involved with several duties that involve enforcing ICT standards in the Central and County governments.
The formation of ICT Authority was one of Connected Kenya’s achievements, in addition to the review of the ICT Master Plan and the introduction of ICT Summit series in counties that is also under ICT Authority’s mandate.
Among its key achievements over the years include a 2014 partnership with Intel in a program called ‘Intel She Will Connect’ that aimed to cut gender and technology gap. In the same year, ICT Authority, OLX Kenya and Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) pioneered a campaign dubbed Kaa Rithoo to facilitate consumer safety when purchasing stuff online. It has been part of the Presidential Digital Talent Program that avails internship for fresh college graduates.
In 2017, the corporation signed a new MOU with Chinese technology company Huawei in a bid to spur digital transformation and provision of ICT skills in the country. The most recent lobbying from the authority was done in early March where it pushed for renewed uptake of ICTs to spur development in Kenya’s 47 counties.
