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Kenya will implement the layout of 52 percent of the proposed 100,000km of the national fibre optic cable while the other segment will be undertaken by the private sector.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said the role of the private sector is crucial going forward as more government services and the economy shifts into digital mode.

“We have already had meetings to discuss and agree on who rolls out what component of that fibre and we have come out of those meetings with resolutions as to the responsibility centres for rolling out the fibre, including the timelines, the targets and all that appertains to it,” said Owalo while speaking at the opening of the 12th edition of the Connected Summit on Monday,

Kenya, Owalo said, is on track in push to transition 100 percent of government services on to the eCitizen portal ahead of the June deadline, noting that the digital platform that was in the hands of the private sector is now fully run by the State.

“When we took it over two months ago, we only had 350 services aboard. As of today, we have attained the threshold of 4,200 services aboard the system,” he said.

The government also plans to complete laying down an initial 5,000km of the fibre cable, with the full rollout of the 100,000km expected to be finalised in five years.

The cable project, first announced by President Ruto a month after he assumed office, falls under the infrastructure pillar of the country’s digital transformation agenda and is aimed at hastening internet connectivity across the country and making its access stable and reliable.