from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYA has welcomed Germany’s commitment of Sh7,8 billion (US$60,28 million) to drive partnerships in digital transformation and other key sectors of the economy.
The investment was confirmed at the just-concluded Kenya-Germany Biennial Government-to-Government Negotiations on Development Cooperation in Berlin.
The commitment falls under the new Technical and Financial Cooperation framework (2026-2028).
The funding will directly support priority programmes covering digital transformation and innovation, private sector development, trade and investment, technical and vocational education and labour mobility, renewable energy, e-mobility and climate action, irrigation, climate-smart agriculture and food systems, as well as good governance.
“The Berlin negotiations identified significant opportunities to expand and deepen our collaboration across critical growth sectors,” said John Tanui, Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy.
He was part of the Kenyan delegation to Germany.
Focusing on digital transformation, he said that through the Digital Transformation Centre (DTC II), Kenya would extend cooperation through 2029, accelerating ethical artificial intelligence (AI), robust data protection and governance frameworks, digital public infrastructure and open-source digital public goods.
It is anticipated that this will unlock global digital jobs in fintech and business process outsourcing.
Tanui said that as implementation progresses, the partnership between Kenya’s National Treasury, the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, the Government of Germany, the European Union and local public and private sector partners would continue translating strategic policy into measurable socio-economic impact for the people.
“Kenya is not simply embracing the future. We are helping shape a global economy that is human-centred, trusted, inclusive and globally competitive,” he concluded.
More than 120 German companies operate in the East African country.
In 2023, Kenya became the first African country to initiate a formal digital dialogue and sign a comprehensive memorandum of understanding with Germany on digital policy.
– CAJ News