Earlier this week, Dr. Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u, an academic with a PhD in Information Systems, took over from Eliud Owalo as the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the critical Information Communications, and The Digital Economy (ICT) ministry.
- During her vetting before the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments, she declared that her net worth at KSh 95.3 million including a car, house, investments in Treasury Bills and Bonds, SACCO Shares and cash deposits.
- Dr. Ndung’u, who has no prior experience in the public service, is a career technocrat, researcher and academic whose doctoral thesis was on how emergent technologies are empowering people living in low-income households.
- On her desk now lie the long-delayed Startups Bill, the controversial ICT Bill, and many other critical policy proposals and stalled projects.
“I will work with other stakeholders to implement the Data Protection Act to ensure that there is proper use of the Internet space as well as protection of personal data as provided in the constitution,” Dr. Ndung’u said during her vetting.
Dr. Ndung’u also elaborated on the importance of media freedom, affirming that she will not clamp down on its provisions. She, however, said that media institutions have a mandate to responsibly report information that did not endanger the nation’s peace.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Informational Sciences from Moi University, a Master’s degree in Management Science from the University of Nairobi, and a PhD in Information Systems from the same institution. She did a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria, South Africa.
She has worked with various organizations such as IDRC, International Trade Center, Vodaphone, and the Worldbank. She is a founding member of the Network of African Women in Cyber-Security.
In Kenya, she was a consultant for the ICT Authority and lead partner for research. She is also a part-time lecturer at the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Nairobi (UoN).
Ndung’u’s broad experience in ICT project management has seen her publish articles in books and journals promoting ICT applicability in various sectors of development. Being a technocrat, therefore, she can leverage on her skill range to optimize the growing ICT sector.
Owalo’s legacy
In his X (formerly Twitter) account, former CS of ICT Eliud Owalo boasted that his tenure was remarkably successful – promoting more than 150,000 jobs, digitizing more than 17,000 government services, and establishing 274 digital hubs.
He also credited that his ministry was reported as the ‘least corrupt’ – although in essence what was done was a simple survey of the sentiments of 5,000 Kenyans and not a scientific study.
Owalo also listed the local assembly of 1.5 million affordable smart phones as part of his legacy. So far, he mentioned, 579,000 units have been sold at Safaricom and Jamii Telkom outlets. He also said that his tenure saw 1,360 Wi-Fi hotspots installed across the country.
However, many Kenyans have been sceptical of the numbers often quoted in conversations about job creation. At one time, the same ministry boasted that the number was at 300,000 and above.
The Startups Bill that is still coating with dust would need to be pushed to create a policy framework for an ecosystem budding with innovators. Moreover, she may need to re-evaluate the controversial ICT bill that resurfaced recently, scrapping it entirely or modifying its most contentious clauses.
Kenya is still a hotspot for cyber crime and its internet infrastructure, and the work of leading the fight to secure the country’s digital systems now lies on Dr. Ndung’u’s desk. A major cyber attack, foreign or domestic, could render the nation’s systems disabled for a long time. Ndung’u has a monumental task on this front, in addition to the bigger task of revitalising Kenya’s ICT sector and reclaiming the “Sillicon Savannah” brand.
