[UgaBYTES] Census to gauge ICT literacy skills in Kenya

[Cleopa Timon Otieno]

The Government will assess the level of computer literacy and compliance
when it carries out a national census on August 24. This is seen a move that
will reinforce the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) as a key
driver of the country’s service and manufacturing sectors.

In a break from tradition, the Government now wants to measure the depth of
this  knowledge during the count by asking households how they embrace ICT
in daily activities. The ICT questions are part of this year’s expanded
census questionnaire and manuals which were adopted after consultations in
2006.

“We will ask individuals if they have ever used computers and if they own
computers to evaluate the extent to which ICT is entrenched in the country,”
said Dr Edward Sambili, the Planning permanent secretary.

The country’s economic blueprint — Vision 2030 — promotes the use of ICT to
grow the service and manufacturing sectors by increasing their contribution
to GDP by more than 10 per cent per annum in the initial phase which ends in
2012.

Kenya’s ICT is headed for growth with the landing of the undersea fibre
optic cables at the end of June. The arrival of the cables will position
Kenya as a service hub especially for multinational firms prospecting oil in
neighbouring Uganda and Sudan. Kenya has also started the process of
building Special Economic Zones which will use the fibre cable advantage to
process businesses across the region.

The changing methods of processing businesses and also the continued
promotion of  ICT in the manufacturing sector is quickly driving the country
to fully embrace computer technology for faster development.

Dr Sambili is the chairman of the National Census Steering Committee, which
is mandated with organising the count. The country carries out national
population census after every 10 years according to United Nations
standards. The last exercise in 1999 census put Kenya’s population at 28.7
million.

In 2005, it was estimated at 33.8 million.  More than Sh7.3 billion has been
allocated for the census whose full results will be known by December.
Provisional results stating the total population will be out in September.

The census will also determine the number of employed Kenyans to ascertain
the labor productivity in the country. It will assess housing conditions and
availability of accommodation.

The Government will also seek to know levels of remittances from the
Diaspora by asking households if they had relatives staying outside the
country. “The Government is collaborating with US Census Bureau to assist in
census data processing. The Bureau is offering technical support, training
and system backstopping,” said Dr Sambili.

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Cleopa Timon Otieno
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