Info Technology (IT) and Comm Technology (CT) Converged into ICT.

=> I believe the future looks bright in ICT. With investment in infrastructure, the cost of information transfer will decrease to a level where it is no-longer an issue... then people-centric, service-oriented [preferably mobile based] applications will become readily available.

=> BPO is a good option coz is an export of labor without laborers having leaving the country ..but the issue of expertise will continue to bedevil this endeavor as well as high cost of production.

=> In an economy like ours, the govt will continue to be a major [probably the biggest] consumer of goods and services. The rate at which GoK computerizes its function will have a bearing on extent of ICT permeation to general populace and the growth of the industry as whole. Initiatives like e-government needs to be revamped.

Kwanza tutoe ujinga miongoni mwa wengi. Having decorated papers with markings 'computer packages ms wor..ms powep.. etc' with distinction as grades doesn't make anyone IT professional. We have 1000s good/fair computer users that label themslfs IT profess.. or gurus, all bcoz one can type or hit harder the keyboard, can download and install ready made software and drivers etc.

Tell them also that if you are a professor surrounded by idiots, you are just 1/4 or 1/8 of a profe..

Anyway its good if can have millions of computer literate people so that the gurus can find market of their products.
mengi ni sumu

Sometimes I get the impression that most people don't understand what IT means and what cyber space offers. Otherwise how do you explain the very costly 'digital shift' we are having?

Distribution systems to work with market information systems are not so difficult to design and implement. Don't be surprised to see one soon.

The flexibility and 'security' offered by cloud computing is most desirable - to me at least.

Generally, IT will yield excellent harvests.

I don't understand when some people keep saying Kenya is lacking in IT/ICT skills. Seriously? What skills are being referred to in this case? Have these people heard of mpesa, ushahidi or even pesa-pal? Ama these innovations don't require skills?

What Kenya doesn't have is resources to harness the abundant skills available, and incubation centres to spur creativity; not a lack of skills. Next time kindly educate us on what specific skill is lacking, and not just rantings of lack of skill. You cannot have companies like Nokia fund a research centre for developers in Kenya "where skills are lacking". Kindly check how many research centres they have worldwide. It will indicate to you where they rank us in terms of availability of skills. Let me help you; there are only 10 http://research.nokia.com/locations.

How about IBM setting up its research labs and African headquarters in Kenya? This not mentioning other heavyweights like Google, Huawei etc that have set up reginal offices right here in Kenya.I could go on and on, but one thing is clear, Kenya is slowly but clearly taking lead in frica as far as ICT is concerned.

As a parting shot, if only what Bitange Ndemo is working on can take off, South African ICT industry will look like child's play when compared to Kenya.

Skills are lacking otherwise hubs wouldn't be necessary. The problem I was stating is a problem we've all heard before,people have the necessary papers but can't translate them to output at work and that goes beyond IT/ICT. Even Juliana Rotich one of the founders is pushing for more people to learn and acquire skills(there is a international talk she was in last year).

Skills that are lacking:Assembly programming,In depth operating system knowledge,Multimedia(graphics,images,video,audio),Hacking and Security(Cryptography),Programming languages,Smartphone programming,Social Media utilization,HTML5,User Experience Designers,DATA SCIENTIST!!!!!

Considering what you are saying about Kenya beating South Africa we are quite far because I believe the majority of people go the networking route.

@ChessMaster you are spot on!

Anybody who has interviewed IT prospects knows the annoying refrain that 'Networking' has become. You can add 'pHp' as the most ubiquitous 'programming language' you hear of.

ponder these:
1. Anyone reading this who need both hands to count the A+ Oracle DBAs you know?
2. How about Unix OS skills and experience?
3. How many IT training institutions in Kenya spew out market-ready application programmers?
4. Can we list down the 'original, made in Kenya' IT end products that make commercial sense - that is, satisfying a need profitably?

etc etc.

The IT integration projects in corporate Kenya is littered with 9ijas, Indians, Zimbabweans and most recently East Europeans. So much for hubs, Nokias and IBMs.

The IT body in Kenya need a lot more than hubs and 'tunaomba selikali'. Top amongst being; good IT curriculum with an optimum mix of technology and business skills (finance, economics), Global best and next practices and peer reviewed developments, Lesson 101 on internet (such an amazing resource/ platform that we misuse).

Having a facebook account, transferring money by Mpesa and having a yahoo account does not pass as IT skills.

Neither is building a simple website, developing an 'mobile App' that only makes sense to you or having a desk at an incubation room.

for example........?