The Authority has also been mandated with developing and reviewing regulations on SIM card registration/PSCU
CA Director General Francis Wangusi says the rebranding comes with an added mandate in regulating electronic transactions that includes administering broadcast content, developing media standards and monitoring compliance.
“Our rebranding is meant to give us a new outlook in dealing with the sector issues; we were given more powers that include prosecutorial powers in contraventions in terms of the regulations of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) more especially on the spectrum,” Wangusi said.
The Authority has also been mandated with developing and reviewing regulations on SIM card registration.
The Authority is set to open four regional offices in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nyeri in a bid to cover all counties.
It further plans to increase penetration of mobile telephony to 90 percent, broadband penetration to 10 percent and Internet uptake to 70 percent by the year 2018.
Currently, there are 31 million voice communications subscriptions, 21 million Internet subscribers and about 26 million Kenyans using mobile money transfer platforms.
The event was presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta who said that the launch of the Authority is a logical step to ensure a measure of regulatory independence and transparency in the management of the ICT sector.
President Kenyatta said that the government is making efforts in curbing insecurity in the country.
“I would like to ensure Kenyans that my government is working round the clock through various agencies to identify mechanisms that will strengthen national security and cut crime,” The Head of State said.
The President also launched the Kenya’s National Cyber security Framework that includes the National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and the Kenya Computer Incident Response Team Co- ordination Centre (KE-CIRT/CC) aimed at curbing cyber crime.
The Authority remitted Sh4.09 billion to the Treasury that constitutes 90 percent of the Authority’s 2013 net surplus and an additional Sh2.3 billion for fees paid by Safaricom Limited for its renewal of its license for another 10 years.
The rebranding comes as the ICT sector has attracted Sh33 billion worth of investment and Sh133 billion in revenue annually.
