NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 8 – The government has unveiled a team of experts from the media industry to review and advise on reforms to be undertaken in the Ministry of Information and the Digital Economy.
The team was unveiled on Friday by the Cabinet Secretary for Information Communication and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo.
He said the team will undertake comprehensive policy and legislative reforms within the ICT sector and make recommendations to ensure that there is a well-coordinated approach to the administration of national ICT priorities aligning with the bottom-up agenda.
According to Owalo, the current legal framework has evolved over the past 35 years.
“The oldest piece of legislation within our core mandate today is the Kenya Broadcasting Act of 1988,” he said, “The law governing the national broadcaster is 35 years old, while that governing broadcasting generally – postal and related services, as well as telecommunications – is over 25 years old.”
The CS said the team has been mandated to undertake comprehensive policy and legislative reforms within the ICT sector and make recommendations to ensure that there is a well-coordinated approach to the administration of national ICT priorities aligning with the bottom-up agenda.
He saied the team will examine the existing policy, legislative, institutional, administrative and operational structures, systems and strategies and recommend comprehensive reforms in the sector.
The team will also identify emerging technologies and other areas that need legal and policy intervention and make appropriate policy and legislative proposals.
“They shall make any other assessment and advise on necessary reforms to enable the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy to meet its present mandate and expectations in a fast-changing operational environment,” Owalo said.
The CS said the reforms team will also be expected to draft relevant Bills, draft Policies and Strategy documents.
Owalo said the Sector Working Group shall remain in office for six months.
The media is represented in the team by Media Owners of Kenya Chairperson Agnes Kalekye of Radio Africa Group, Kenya Editor’s Guild President Zubeidah Kananu, the Executive Director of the East Africa Editors Society, Mr Churchil Otieno, veteran Editor Tom Mshindi.
Also named is Government Advertising Agency managing director Michael Okudo among others
