CEO Vision 2030 Mugo Kibati/FILE
According to Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat Director General Mugo Kibati, the government has committed to taking up space at the new Konza Techno City, with plans of putting up a new Tier 4 Government Data Centre, as part of the Vision 2030 implementation process.
At Konza Techno City, the Government will join a pool of local and international firms, which have expressed an interest to invest in the new Smart City such as Google, Samsung, Huawei, Craft Silicon and Safaricom Limited.
Other potential investors include Telemax Technology Corporation from Taiwan, Wananchi Group, Research in Motion, Multimedia University, University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Toyota, Nairobi Hospital and Shapoorji Pallonji Group from India.
The proposed Government Data Centre will complement the existing facility which currently links government ministries, departments and agencies.
The stepping up of Vision 2030 implementation process including elements such as government service delivery through e-Government platforms, Kibati explained justifies the need for a modern Government Data Centre
“The proposed facility will also help upscale the existing facility already operating at optimum capacity. Plans are also underway to scale-up the existing GDC to a tier 3 facility,” he added.
Kibaki emphasised as part of the existing Vision 2030 goals, a new Government Data Centre will help boost government service delivery and efficiency through a centralized platform.
“Given the existing information security threats, both the proposed and existing Government Data Centre’s have helped to promote the security of Government information through a harmonised and centrally managed model,” he noted.
“Charity begins at home and even as we collaborate to attract international investors to Konza, I am glad that the government has accepted the proposal to take a lead and put up an advanced Data Centre at Konza Techno City in coming years,” he added.
He revealed that the necessary procurement and project design for the upgraded Government Data Centre is already at an advanced stage with various stakeholders such as the Ministry of Information, Treasury, Directorate of e-Government, ICT Board among other players already engaging.
As part of the Vision 2030 Foundations for National Transformation, various institutional reforms including the establishment of the existing Government Data Centre have been undertaken.
Commissioned in 2011, the Government Data Centre facilitates the storage and processing of applications and databases in a virtual (digital) environment sourced from all ministries, departments and agencies.
The Government Data Centre, which is one of the most modern data centres in Kenya, is linked to the Government Common Core Network (GCCN) linked to various Government Ministries, departments and agencies.
According to the Directorate of e-Government, the current Government Data Centre has been implemented under an Enterprise Architecture combining data warehousing, re-engineered processes as well as virtualized technologies.
The existing GDC has also facilitated reasonable cost savings by eliminating the need for high infrastructure expenses while providing an easy to use, cost efficient, flexible, dynamic and secure environment for Government data and information.
