ICT Cabinet Secretary, Joe Mucheru appointed a COVID-19 ICT advisory committee in a scenario where the government is pulling efforts from all corners to contain the pandemic.
In a Gazette Notice No. 3236, the committee will have the mandate of coordinating ICT specific responses of the COVID-19 and beyond.
Kenya COVID-19 ICT Advisory Commitee appointed by .@mucheru pic.twitter.com/uGqR4DUre8
— George Njoroge (@georgenjoroge_) April 21, 2020
The gazette notice also names the members of the Advisory Committee which includes a number of people that we know in the tech space.
The committee comprises of
- Mercy Wanjau – Chairperson
- Peter Njonjo – Vice- Chariperson
- Ory Okolloh
- Dr Fernando Wangila
- Dr Joseph Sitienei
- Dr Shikoh Gitau
- Hilda Moraa
- Mahmoud Noor
- Kevin Atibu
Mercy Wanjau is the current Director-General of the Communications Authority of Kenya. Peter Njonjo is the CEO and Co-Founder of Twiga Foods. Ory Okolloh is the co-founder of Ushahidi and a current Non-Executive Director of Stanbic Bank. Dr Fernando Wangila is the Senior Deputy Director (Head of ICT and Innovation) at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). Dr Shikoh Gitau was the former Head of Products at Alpha in Safaricom. Hilda Moraa is the founder and CEO of Pezesha, a fintech company.
Dr Joseph Sitienei is an epidemiologist and the head of National Strategic Programs at the Ministry of Health. Mahmoud Noor is the Patron and Board chairman of Swahilipot, a tech hub based in Mombasa. Kevin Atibu is the Head of Innovation and Incubation at the ICT Authority.
The committee seems quite solid with members sourced from the government and the private sector. They will serve for 6 months as the country tries to come up with ways to contain the spread of the virus.