Thursday, 20 March, 2025
Senate ICT Committee grills CS Kabogo over missed targets, pending bills and budget cuts
๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐
The Senate ICT Committee has pressed Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo over budget cuts, unfulfilled ICT infrastructure projects and mounting pending bills, raising concerns over the ministryโs financial management and digital transformation efforts.
Vice Chair Miraj Abdillahi challenged the KES. 423.5 million budget reduction despite ambitious targets for 2025/2026. Kabogo defended the cuts, citing efficiency measures and stakeholder engagements to secure alternative funding.
The government had pledged to establish 1,450 digital hubs nationwide, but only 37 had been connected. ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui admitted delays, attributing them to logistical challenges. Boy Issa Juma (Kwale) demanded details on completed hubs and associated costs. Tanui acknowledged funding constraints and outlined plans to work with the national government to accelerate progress.
The slow rollout of public Wi-Fi was another sticking point. The government aimed to install 5,000 hotspots but had only managed 1,491. Tanui blamed initial power cost uncertainties but assured senators that discussions with county governments and the State Department for Urban Development were addressing the issue.
Hezena Lemaletian raised concerns over the ministryโs growing pending bills. Kabogo admitted the backlog was worsening due to budget cuts. โI am new in the Ministry, but two months have been enough to catch up. We have engaged the Treasury, but with the recent supplementary budget, everything was reduced to zero. This issue must be resolved at Cabinet level,โ he said.
On the troubled Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and Postal Corporation, Kabogo stressed the need for restructuring before financial injections. โKBC is in a total mess. A planned KES. 9 billion injection from a Spanish fund has been put on hold until redundancies and inefficiencies are addressed,โ he stated. He also hinted at a sustainable revenue model for the Postal Corporation, awaiting Cabinet approval.
Miraj Abdillahi questioned the ministryโs role in the Social Health Insurance Fund system. Kabogo clarified that the Directorate of ICT at the Ministry of Health was involved, with ICT staff deployed and the ICT Principal Secretary serving on the steering committee.
Senators sought reassurances that government institutions would consult the ministry before procuring digital systems. Kabogo cited Executive Order No. 2 of 2023, which mandates ICT oversight, and referenced the Kenya National Digital Masterplan 2022-2032 as the guiding framework. He highlighted the newly established Directorate of Cybersecurity, System Audit and Control to ensure compliance.
Beatrice Akinyi Ogolla urged the ministry to visit the Loropio ICT Hub in Turkana County, which she described as a model project. โIt seems to be working well, and it is important to check or benchmark,โ she said.
As the session concluded, senators reiterated the need for stringent oversight to ensure the ministry delivers on its ICT commitments.