Introduction
Most of the ICT facilities in the Kenya have been in urban areas, this has resulted in glaring disparities between urban and rural areas in the distribution of ICT facilities.To redress the disparities, the Kenya ICT Board is implementing the Digital Villages project (DVP) under the Kenya Transparency Communications Infrastructure Project, which will see a creation of network of information facilities across the country. Digital villages are centres that provide a suite of services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers, fax machines and other communication infrastructure.
The project has been branded to “pasha” which is a swahili word that means to ‘inform’. The digital village project (DVP) is an integral part of an innovative public private partnership (PPP) for taking ICTs to the rural communities in Kenya. DVP seeks to harness the vast untapped potential of the rural sector by making ICTs more accessible and affordable to the wider population through the development and utilization of ICT facilities in the rural areas.
The objective of the project is to provide a suite of services to the public via computers connected to the internet. The services will include government services; community based services as well as a host of commercial services. Pasha is designed and facilitated by the Kenya ICT board in conjunction with key non-commercial partners. Provision of these services, particularly to rural and marginalized communities will serve to:
- To enhance information as communities shall be exposed news and trends that may positively impact their lives.
- Provide employment for Kenyans both directly through economic activity that the centre will generate and secondarily through the opportunities that the information will provide.
- Enhance provision of government services. Kenyans will be able to access government services such as NSSF statements, driving license application forms, police extracts among others, from the Pasha Centers.
The Pasha centers are run by private entrepreneurs who obtain training in business and information technology from a certified training program. The training program will be run by Kenya ICT Board. The provision of training programs in business and information technology from the certified program will be supported by the project .Prospective entrepreneurs who have obtained certification will be eligible to apply for a Pasha Development loan from a revolving fund set up by the Board.
1.1 Role of Pasha Centres
To provide Kenyans in rural areas with access to a world of information: This will serve:
- To enhance both their business skills and knowledge as well as expose them to world news and trends that may positively enhance their lives.
- Provide employment for Kenyans both directly through economic activity that the centre will generate and secondarily through the opportunities that the information will provide.
- Enhance provision of government services. Kenyans will be able to access government services such as NSSF statements, driving license application forms, police extracts among others, from the Pasha Centre. These services will all be online.
1.2 About Kenya ICT Board
The Kenya ICT Board was established by HE President Mwai Kibaki, as a state corporation under the State Corporations Act Cap. 446 on 19th February 2007.
The achievement of an information-based society is one of the main priorities of the Government towards the realization of national development goals and objectives for wealth and employment creation. ICT is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. Harnessing of ICT will therefore help the Government to realize a number of its key public policy objectives.
The objectives of the Kenya ICT Board include: To develop, launch and sustain a globally compelling brand marketing campaign for Kenya ICT, To develop and promote competitive ICT industries in Kenya, To develop world class Kenyan ICT institutions and To increase ICT access.
1.3 Objectives of the Digital Villages Project
The project has 3 objectives:
1. Provide affordable access and use of ICT resources to rural communities in a sustainable way.
2. Increase connectivity of the rural areas to other parts of the country.
3. Create economic opportunities that will spur rural economic development.
2.0 Pasha models
The pasha project has the following maturity models
basic model
a) Basic office services
b) Internet surfing
c) Emailing
