Kenya ICT Authority and National Research Fund collaborate to advance countyr's digital agenda
Date: 2026-04-08
By: Robert Kwaku Annor
The
Chief Executive Officers of the Kenya ICT Authority (ICTA) and the National
Research Fund (NRF), Jessy Maruti and Prof. Dickson Andala have met to
strengthen collaboration on the country’s digital transformation agenda.
The
partnership aims to establish a National Research Data Infrastructure (NRDI), a
secure platform for managing research data, leveraging ICTA’s fibre backbone
and government cloud, and aligned with the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration
Programme supported by the World Bank.
The
collaboration will also use artificial intelligence to analyze labour market
trends by integrating Ajira Digital data with NRF systems, providing real-time
insights on job opportunities and skills gaps while promoting youth-led
innovation. Cybersecurity and data protection will be reinforced through joint
audits and localized measures to safeguard intellectual property and citizen
data in line with the Data Protection Act.
To
enhance digital skills and research capacity, the initiative will support
digital learning in TVETs and secondary schools and establish fellowships in
emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, and IoT. ICTA will guide NRF in
digitizing and integrating its platforms, including the e-resource centre, to
meet national standards and ensure interoperability across government systems.
The
partnership underscores a shared vision of building an inclusive, secure, and
future-ready digital ecosystem in Kenya.
