This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
December 10, 2019
By JOHN WALUBENGO
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are often associated with Nairobi, but last week, I had the opportunity to experience the impact of ICTs in Mombasa at the Pwani Innovation Week.
The event, now in its second year, aimed to showcase how Africa, through Kenya, is leapfrogging economic growth using digital technologies. As the website proclaimed:
"This year’s Pwani Innovation Week provides a platform where governments, industries, businesses, organisations and individuals will showcase, engage, discuss and explore how Africa, through Kenya, is leapfrogging economic growth – using digital technologies."
The event did not disappoint, with various innovation events taking place at the scenic Swahili Pot, a hub that provides free broadband Internet access, meeting rooms, a café, and other amenities to the youth of Mombasa and the wider coastal regions.
During the year, the youth have the opportunity to work on their innovations, knowing that they will have a platform to showcase their digital innovations to top leadership in government, industry, academia, investors, and enthusiasts. They also learn from experienced panellists who share their expertise on various topics, including managing startups, pitching to investors, and navigating the legal and regulatory environment.
The Pwani innovation edition went beyond traditional ICTs, incorporating the arts, culture, and sports, and demonstrating how the youth can leverage ICTs to scale their gigs to the next level. This was a true case of devolving innovation, where local residents are best placed to provide innovative tailored solutions to their unique set of problems.
For Kenya to be a true digital hub for East and Central Africa, we need to have similar innovation hubs across the country. This is because each county has its unique set of problems, and the local residents are best placed to provide innovative solutions. The techies in Nairobi are least optimised to provide coastal solutions compared to the coastal techies themselves.
The national innovation policy, published about five years ago, envisioned innovation centers structured locally and regionally, while staying coordinated on a national innovation agenda. A State agency was established to oversee and actualise this vision. Despite the success of the Pwani Innovation week, it was largely driven by the private sector. Would it have been more successful if it was supported by the public sector innovation agency?
Perhaps it is time to do some stocktaking and see how the innovation agency led by the public sector is performing in pushing the innovation agenda beyond Nairobi. We need to sustain a countrywide innovation agenda to truly make Kenya the innovation hub for East and Central Africa.
Mr Walubengo is a lecturer at Multimedia University of Kenya, Faculty of Computing and IT.
