A milestone was reached last week in the Kenyan-German Digital Dialogue with the signing of the first work plan on February 13th, 2024. Held in Nairobi, the meeting was co-chaired by State Secretary Stefan Schnorr of Germany’s Ministry for Digital and Transport and Jackson Makewa, Director of ICT for Kenya’s Ministry of Information.
The German government, through its Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), actively fosters international collaboration through its “Digital Dialogues” initiative. This program connects Germany with key partner countries, aiming to pave the way for a smoother digital transformation across societies and economies.
The process that culminated with a work plan began in November 2023. It now serves as a guideline for collaboration between the two countries in 2024. The following priority topics have been defined: Internet Governance, Data Policy and Cybersecurity, Digital Innovation and Sustainable Growth and Digital Public Infrastructure and Services.
Following the signing, a gathering of over 110 representatives from diverse sectors like businesses, civil society, academic institutions, and public services from both nations engaged in a lively exchange of ideas on the key areas outlined in the new work plan. The joint stakeholder meeting focused on three key areas: Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy.
German BPO Jobs
Recently, Kenya’s President Ruto made waves when he claimed that young Kenyans are working for Germany firms remotely. This was touched on by the working group on digital economy. Roselyn Maundu introduced the Business Processes Outsourcing Association of Kenya (BPOAK) and emphasised Kenya’s great interest in promoting the digital economy and creating jobs through business process outsourcing (BPO). The participants then exchanged views on BPO’s potential and risks.
The Digital Dialogue drew experts from KICTANet, stiftung neue verantwortung, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Tech Innovators Network – THINK SUPERRR Lab and the Business Processes Outsourcing Association of Kenya (BPOAK).In the course of 2024, the topics will be addressed in more joint stakeholder events.
A review of the priorities for 2025 is planned for the last quarter of 2024. The content of the discussions in the three working groups will be processed and serve as a guideline for planning future events of the Kenyan-German Digital Dialogue. This collaborative spirit sets the stage for advancements in digital collaboration between Kenya and Germany.
