NAIROBI, Kenya, July 11 – All ICT professionals in Kenya will have to be licensed to operate in the country if a new law passes.
The ICT Authority Bill 2024 says that any person who intends to offer ICT services in Kenya should be accredited by the Authority.
The applicant shall, the bill adds, “(a) be a holder of the minimum technical qualifications and skills prescribed by the Authority for the class of contract works in respect of which registration is sought.”
“(b) have the necessary experience prescribed by the Authority in works involving the category of service applied,” it states.
“(5) Where the Authority approves the application, the Authority shall accredit the applicant.”
Currently, the Ministry of Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy is conducting public participation on the Bill before it is passed.
“The ministry is therefore required to conduct public consultations in accordance with the constitution and invites relevant stakeholders, members of the public, and all interested parties to provide suggestion(s), views, and inputs, with justification(s), on the bill, which will inform its review,” a public notice from the Authority stated.
The Authority further stated that the execution of the Bill will pave the way for a legal framework that will establish and lay out the powers and functions of the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA), which will be responsible for oversight of ICT countrywide.
“The objective of the bill is to establish and provide a legal framework for the establishment, powers, and function of the ICTA and provide for a well-coordinated and regulated oversight of ICT matters and both the National and County levels,” it stated.
