13th October 2023
Yesterday, we were honoured by a visit from Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, MBS, the Principal Secretary of the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy and his team. This visit underscores the longstanding relationship between Damu Sasa and the Ministry of ICT, which was fostered during Damu Sasa’s incubation period at the Ministry of ICT.
During the visit, the Damu Sasa team expressed their gratitude for the continuous support from the Ministry of ICT and encouraged the ministry to sustain their support, to further Damu Sasa’s growth and impact.
In particular, the Damu Sasa team requested the government’s commitment to meet the local policy requirement of 40% procurement. They emphasized the importance of digitization in enhancing healthcare delivery and as a means to collect sufficient data for informed policy development to improve health services for Kenyans.
In addition, the Damu Sasa team presented their strategic initiatives in blood services management. These include digital applications (both web and mobile) built to enhance blood services supply chains, and ongoing research efforts to improve blood availability in Kenya, which currently has a 60%+ deficit.
From his perspective, the Principal Secretary expressed his satisfaction that an idea that originated from a government program has successfully come to fruition through Damu Sasa. He also assured continued support and collaboration.
In particular, he emphasized the pivotal role of digitization in delivering economic benefits to all Kenyans, especially in healthcare delivery. He stressed the importance of Public Private Partnerships (PPP), given that both the government and private players share a common goal in serving our fellow citizens.
Kenya has gained a well-deserved reputation as a hub for innovation within the region, backed by budding innovations in healthcare, fin-tech, and agriculture among others. The Permanent Secretary reassured that the government is committed to supporting this momentum, to further attract employment and income opportunities, especially for Kenyan youths.
Accordingly, the government, as part of its initiative, will actively foster and promote collaborations between Kenyan businesses and global partners, aiming to harness their mutual growth potential. This demonstrates a commitment to advancing the vision of the Silicon Savannah, for which Kenya is renowned.
