Kenya’s Digital Revolution On the Roll – Over 5,000 Government Services Now Available Online
Nairobi — Kenya’s vision of going fully digital in the delivery of government services is rapidly gathering pace with more than 5,000 services now available online.
President William Ruto launched the services already onboarded to the eCitizen portal following a presidential directive on Jamuhuri Day last year when the Head of State committed to ease access to government services and eliminate corruption by cutting out physical interactions and brokers.
The launch was done concurrently with the unveiling of GavaMkononi, a phone-based app developed to make access to these services easier.
The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration is among those that have migrated their operations to the online platform, with four institutions now set to deliver their services digitally.
One of the new entrants is the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), which will begin licensing importation and exportation of alcoholic drinks online.
As part of the government’s efforts to improve access to counseling and
support services to the grassroots, the Authority is set to accredit rehabilitation centers digitally, with those struggling with addiction also expected to request virtual and in-person training through the same platform.
The police Occurrence Book (OB) has also been digitized, a move that will facilitate more efficient and real-time reporting of crimes and security incidents in the country.
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The digital OB was conceptualized to eliminate manipulation and disappearance of case records since complaints, statements, and details of criminal activities made at police stations will be uneditable.
Moreover, progressive strides are being taken towards enhancing the processing of police clearance, with a number of capacity adjustment measures targeted at streamlining and expediting the issuance of the certificates by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The digitization drive will also enhance the police complaints system and civilian review of law enforcement officers. Any member of the public can file a complaint against police to the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), with the authority expected to post the progress of investigations into the deaths and injuries caused by the officers online. Further, the Authority seeks to enhance transparency in the deployment of servicemembers.
The President also unveiled Gava Express, a service delivery approach modeled around Huduma Centers. However, unlike Huduma Centers are primarily based in county headquarters, Gava Express will provide services at the grassroots in partnership with the private sector, and targets the establishment of over 300,000
outlets across the country.
