When Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo of the Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy (MoICDE) hung up his hat (he didn’t have much of a choice though), he left behind quite the colorful exit scorecard. But like a magician’s act, not everything was as it seemed. As the responsible tech publication we are, we decided to pull back the curtain and track what the ICT CS really accomplished during his tenure, and boy did we find some interesting tidbits. Let’s focus on the major points in his scorecard.
The “Least Corrupt” Crown
Owalo kicked things off by declaring MoICDE the “LEAST CORRUPT” government ministry. Impressive, right? Well, this wasn’t exactly a hard-earned title, but more like winning a popularity contest. The EACC simply surveyed 5,100 Kenyans about their perceptions of corruption, and the MoICDE came in lowest with 0.1% susceptibility to corruption. We’re not saying it’s not true, but as seasoned editors, we know sensationalism when we see it.
The Shrinking Digital Jobs Conundrum
Remember when your village stories got better with each retelling? Well, Owalo’s job creation numbers seem to work in reverse. In January, his ministry boasted of creating 390,000 digital jobs (don’t quote us; his own PS said that). Fast forward to his exit, and suddenly we’re down to 152,711. Did 237,289 jobs simply vanish into the ether? And if they did, shouldn’t that also be listed in the exit scorecard, or is this one of those scorecards where an E is turned into a B?
The Open University of Kenya
Eliud Owalo also proudly announced the establishment of The Open University of Kenya in October 2023. Plot twist: This university has been in the works since 2005. While it’s true that The Open University of Kenya was established chartered in 2023, it is only fair to give credit where credit’s due – this one belongs to the Education Ministry, not MoICDE. Also, it was chartered on August 3 by the President. This information is even on the university’s website, so why are you getting the dates wrong? Come on, sir!
The “Re-engineered” Fiber Optic Model
Last but not least, Owalo took a bow for “re-engineering” the use of KPLC electricity lines for fiber optic cables. Sorry to rain on your parade, but this brilliant idea has been around since 2010, during the late President Mwai Kibaki’s government. For the last decade or so, Kenya Power has leveraged its extensive power transmission and distribution network to run fiber optic cables, entering lease agreements with service providers including Safaricom, Liquid Telecom Ltd., Jamii Telecommunications, and many others. This model did not begin during Kenya Kwanza’s tenure.
Now, let’s be fair: Eliud Owalo’s tenure wasn’t all smoke and mirrors. There were genuine accomplishments tucked away in that scorecard. But as our tech-savvy readers know, it’s always good to run a check on any information that is put out there. Especially when the government is involved. We have done our job and reported the facts, dear reader. Make of it what you will.
