Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) in partnership with Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) organized a two-day ICT stakeholder engagement forum on the Framework for Digital Markets at the Tribe Hotel Nairobi the conference agenda focused on engaging relevant stakeholders on discussions around the state of digital market in Kenya and policies and frameworks needed to sustain the environment. The overall theme for the engagement forum was Digital Markets and Open Data in Kenya.
The Forum pulled in all relevant stakeholders including Government, ICT experts, Academia, Civil society and the Business community, to discuss and explore issues and challenges facing the open data community, identify innovative solutions, partnership opportunities that can translate into development in kenya and the larger East Africa Community.
Important key notes were passed by legislators who were part of the forum including nominated Senator and Vice chair of the Senate IT committee Abshiro Halake who expressed that the Senate committee is keen to ensure that Kenya’s economy is is enabled digitally, and Hon Godfrey Osotsi a member of the National Assembly ICT committee reiterated on the importance of utilising digital marketing to effectively deliver government services.
The first day of the conference focused on evaluating a baseline study by KAS on existing market regulation and gaps on virtual products the need for competitive framework focusing on business and social market economy by implementing frameworks on virtual and digital markets in Kenya and the EAC region and lastly the importance of strengthening Human resource development in ICT.
Second day prioritized the discussion on open data, as a product of the future and its great benefits for the development of new business models and as a tool of democracy, and emphasis on capacity-building for the general public in order to use the internet as a tool for democratic debates, privacy action when it comes to digital Markets.
At the end of the engagement as way forward and action planning stakeholders explored policies and agendas to steer frameworks and regulation to protect and sustain Digital markets in Kenya.
To engage on this important discussion on Digital Markets in Kenya and still have input follow the interaction on twitter #DigitalMarketsKe, @KICTANet and KAS_Kenya
A report on the forum will be made available on both the KICTAnet and KAS websites.
