This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
As the world transitions into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by the rapid evolution of information technology and computer science, Kenya is at a crossroads. With the increasing importance of Big Data, the country's ability to harness its potential will depend on its investment in High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure.
Published on July 9, 2019, Dr. Paul Okanda, Director of ICT and Associate Professor of Computing at the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), highlighted the significance of HPC in transforming Big Data into actionable knowledge. He noted that HPC enables organisations to analyse large amounts of structured and unstructured data, making it possible to develop relevant products and services that meet customer needs.
Dr. Okanda emphasized that HPC has numerous applications, including fighting hunger by developing drought-resistant crop breeds, better understanding climate change, and enabling economic modelling for governments. Medical advancements, such as gene sequencing and biophysical simulations, can also aid in the development of effective medicine and vaccines.
However, Africa, including Kenya, lags behind in HPC, which is essential for the digital revolution. Dr. Okanda urged the government to provide access to cutting-edge computing technologies, enabling researchers and scientists to contribute to the global research agenda and develop home-grown solutions to the country's challenges.
Despite the importance of HPC, Kenya's investment in this area is woefully inadequate. The country's reliance on imported solutions, rather than developing its own, is a major concern. Dr. Okanda noted that the only African country with a semblance of reasonable HPC is South Africa, which puts it miles ahead of Kenya in terms of scientific research, development, and digital evolution.
Organisations like USIU-Africa, which hosts a mini-HPC courtesy of a partnership with Intel and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), are few and far between. However, this is used mainly by researchers in the agricultural and livestock research area, leaving out a huge chunk of businesses and institutions that can benefit from HPC.
With the increasing migration of services onto digital platforms, data is being generated and stored every second. The challenge lies in interpreting and analysing this data computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions.
As the world prepares for the launch of the 5G network technology, Kenya must not be left behind in the adoption of HPCs to make effective use of Big Data. It is imperative for stakeholders to pay more attention to HPCs and invest in this critical area to reap the benefits of the digital revolution.
