The Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and the Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo, has recently established a task force responsible for spearheading policy, legal, and legislative reforms in the country.
This team has been entrusted with the crucial task of reviewing and offering recommendations for necessary changes in the laws governing broadcasting, courier services, and telecommunications.
Considering that some of these laws were enacted more than 25 years ago, there is an urgent need for them to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Despite previous amendments, the Cabinet Secretary acknowledges that there is still much work to be done.
During the inauguration of the task force, CS Owalo highlighted the need for reforms in response to significant technological advancements.
He pointed out that the existing legal framework lacks specific regulations for emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), cryptocurrencies, and other digital assets
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The emergence of these new technologies presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in the realm of cybercrimes. To address these issues, the Ministry is also working on amending the Cybercrimes Act of 2018.
Key Responsibilities of the ICT Sector Working Group The ICT Sector Working Group, chaired by ICT expert Prof Timothy Mwololo Waema from the University of Nairobi, has the following key responsibilities:
- Review existing policy, legislative, institutional, administrative, and operational structures and recommend comprehensive reforms within the sector.
- Identify emerging technologies and areas requiring legal and policy interventions, proposing relevant policy and legislative changes.
- Provide assessments and advice on necessary reforms to help the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy meet its present objectives in a rapidly changing operational environment.
- Draft relevant bills, policies, and strategy documents to facilitate these reforms.
CS Owalo also emphasized the importance of integrating these reforms to eliminate redundancies and reduce role duplication.
Members of the ICT Sectoral Reforms Working Group The ICT Sectoral Reforms Working Group, chaired by Prof Timothy Mwololo Waema, includes members such as Ms Phyllis Migwi, responsible for ICT sectoral reforms, and Dr Hanningtone Joel Gaya, responsible for Broadcasting and Telecommunications sectoral reforms.
The group is given six months to fulfill its mandate, with the possibility of an extension if required.