Kenyan govt invests in ICT

The Kenya ICT Board has loaned Sh27.95 million to 26 entrepreneurs from different constituencies in Kenya in an effort to roll out electronic facilities, or Pasha Centres, to address the disparity in distribution of ICT services, Capital FM reports.

Commonly referred to as digital villages, the Pasha Centres are hubs that provide a host of services to the public via Internet-connected computers or other ICT-enabled applications at the grassroots level.

The Pasha Centres are run by private entrepreneurs, who have gone through a training programme initiated by the Kenya ICT Board. Prospective entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for a development loan from a revolving fund set up by the Board, All Africa writes.

Digital Inclusion project manager at the Kenya ICT Board, Kwame Shiroya, said the selection of the new Pasha managers was done openly through a competitive process.

"The online application saw more than 10 000 Kenyans sign up for the loans," he said.