A.     Project Background and Description

The AFD group (AFD, Proparco and Expertise France) conducted a prospecting mission in January 2024 after receiving a technical financial request from the Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy (MIC&DE) for 80 million euros.

This project which kicked off in March 2025, is a transposition of the 2022-2032 Digital Masterplan, and combines: 

i)        The extension of the country's aerial fiber optic network (OPGW/ADSS) owned by the MICDE and operated by electrical operators for the connectivity of public institutions;

ii)      Cross-cutting support for the development of the e-government strategy (digitization of public documents, delivery of sectoral digital public services, data management);

iii)    The deployment of the network of digital hubs to deliver essential public services to citizens and businesses, train in digital skills and develop entrepreneurship.

The estimated funding need by the sectoral ministry was between 80 million and 100 million euros for the project's completion. Following the mission and numerous technical workshops, a two-phase proposal was identified. The AFD group proposed to structure a short-term service offer (FEXTE, the subject of the technical proposal) to support the preparation of a sovereign or non-sovereign loan in the medium term (2025-2026).

The targeted medium-term project (financed through a sovereign loan) would consist of three main components:

i)        E-Government: Development of secure digital public services, support for the management and processing of related public data and investments in information systems and associated hardware; 

ii)      Public Aerial Fiber Network Extension: Financing the extension of the public aerial fiber network and associated active equipment for the connectivity of public institutions.  The entire aerial fiber network is owned by the Government of Kenya, and operated through Ketraco (2,634 km of fiber) and Kenya Power (4,000 km of fiber).  The entire aerial fiber network is owned by the Kenyan government and operated through Ketraco (2634km of fiber) and Kenya Power (4000km of fiber). With 80% of the country covered by electricity, this network allows for redundancy in metropolitan areas but also aims to connect areas poorly covered by telecom operators as part of this extension project.  The project also plans to finance the active equipment to switch on the fiber and connect identified public institutions to the network, the scope of which will be defined by a study.

iii)    The design and rollout of digital hubs across the countries to increase access to equipment, training and job opportunities.

The Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy (MICDE) initial request included several points mainly as follows:

i)        Business intelligence and Data Analysis Management System and Tools

The government collects a lot of data in the various government systems and now that we are looking at integrating all these systems, there will be big data that will need to be managed well. It is important that this data be used to inform decision making and be used to inform economic planning. This will require robust data warehousing business intelligence tools as well as data analysis tools. A centralized data management system will be implemented to improve data collection, organization, and analysis across government entities. These tools will allow for more efficient decision-making and ensure the integrity of critical government data. The solution should be scalable and capable of handling large datasets securely.

ii)      Open Data Platform & Hardware

The open data platform/Portal will provide public access to categorized government datasets, enhancing transparency and encouraging innovation. The platform will require a robust hardware infrastructure, including servers, storage, security tools and end user devices to ensure availability, scalability, and performance.

iii)    Support for Data Processing and Management Hardware

This involves procurement and maintenance of data processing hardware, such as computers, laptops, servers, printers, and tablets (including IPADs). This hardware is critical for daily operations within MDAs and for enabling data processing, storage, and dissemination.

iv)    People with Disabilities (PWD) Systems:

Solutions such for KISE (Kenya Institute of Special Education) systems will be integrated into the broader infrastructure, ensuring that PWDs have access to services and data. This includes the development of accessible platforms that cater to their needs and facilitate inclusion in all digital services offered by the government.

v)      Automation of MDAs

Automating the backend processes of selected priority MDAs mandates will reduce manual processes, increase efficiency, and improve service delivery. The automation will include the business process reengineering, designing and development which includes configuration

The overall objective of the FEXTE-funded project is to contribute to the development of digital public services with a particular focus on the inclusion of women and people with disabilities. 

The activities implemented by Expertise France will aim to strengthen MICDE and the ICT Authority in their methodology for the development of digital public services, inspired by the state start-up methodology developed by beta.gouv through DINUM, and to adapt it to the Kenyan ecosystem (taking into account the programmes already implemented or under development). Coordination and harmonization efforts with different donors (World Bank, Team Europe, ESTDEV and GIZ) in the digital sector in Kenya was initiated to prioritize the type and modalities of intervention to be presented to MICDE during the project inception phase.

Expertise France has proposed peer-to-peer exchanges and the transfer of expertise to support the government in its data open approach and the use of these datasets for the design and building of public services using the startup methodology mentioned above, an area in which France and its private ecosystem have world-renowned expertise. EF intends to provide support for the sharing and use of data between administrations. These approaches aim at simplifying the life of users by not repeatedly requesting information already held by the administration for online procedures, and at improving the daily work of agents by using source-certified data that no longer needs to be verified.

In order to ensure the validity to make the open data approach a reality for all stakeholders, it is necessary to envisage a pilot project. To this end, the support has proposed to launch a concrete project based on a realistic use case and re-use of dataset chosen in consultation with the beneficiaries to build a digital public service prototype.  A roadmap and a methodology will be defined for scaling up and transferring to the administrations that own the service, as well as for developing new digital public services (examples from France such as "Mon entreprise," "démarches simplifiées," or "Pass culture").  To achieve this, building on its experience with similar projects in Botswana, Niger, Rwanda, Vietnam, and Benin (also financed by AFD), EF will mobilize French public and private expertise, notably from the services and operators of the French state (DINUM, DILA, and PIX). Particular attention will be paid to public services that reduce the digital access gap related to gender and support access to services for the most vulnerable populations (especially women and people with disabilities).

Finally, the cooperation will provide awareness on the accessibility of digital services to users with disabilities by structuring a methodology for the design and adoption of a specific Kenyan reference framework inspired by the French RGAA. This will include the production of elements to facilitate the systematic adoption of this reference framework (kit, audit tools, regulations). To this end, teams will be trained in accessibility and supported by French experts from DINUM and DILA, in particular for auditing, decision-making and verifying corrections throughout the design and development phases of the reference framework.

B.      Specific Objectives

The structures (MICDE and the ICT Authority), in collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs), will establish and ensure access to a digital public service, with particular attention to the inclusion of women and people with disabilities.

C.      Project Components/Outputs

Two components/products will be developed:

Component 1: Build the capacity of public servants, CSOs, and government decision-makers in data strategy and governance, and apply these skills through co-design of a prototype digital public service demonstrating the Platform State model

Component 2: Develop and adopt an accessibility improvement methodology (kit, audit tools, regulation) for drafting and adopting a specific Kenyan reference framework inspired by the French RGAA with the collaboration of the CSO.