A national accelerator programme that will catalyze innovations and provide Kenyan entrepreneurs with the needed support in their innovative journey, Enterprise Kenya, has been launched courtesy of the Kenyan President.
Enterprise Kenya is an initiative designed to address problems in the ICT innovation space while giving the general public access to report the status of such innovations. The centers will be projected on growing knowledgeable assets and possible commercialization while capturing exchangeable lessons and providing nursing beds for innovative concepts.
H.E President of Kenya, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, explains that, “ICT has transformed both the public and private sector. It has made government more efficient, transparent and productive. There is need for our sectors to consume local innovations. This will not only help build the businesses, it will save the economy from spending a lot of money on foreign systems and licences, and we can in turn channel the money to innovators.”
The announcement was made at the ‘mind the gap, close the gap’ forum, which was aimed at solving problems in the innovation ecosystem. The forum’s end game is, to allow businesses in Kenya, create a brand that is marketable in the region and internationally.
“Some of the targets that we have set for this initiative are; to embark on a review of the procurement law to tilt it towards supporting Kenyan businesses in both current and future government ICT projects; the establishment of an Equity Fund to support ICT innovations which could be Quasi Government/Private and the creation of ICT Centres of Excellence tied to government ICT spending,” Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Dr Fred Matiang’I added.
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