In Kenya on Thursday 5 October, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, launched a package of measures to support the digital economy as part of the EU’s ‘Global Gateway’ investment strategy to promote digital and ‘green’ connectivity.
The EU will invest €9.8 million of its budget to provide Internet access to 1,300 Kenyan schools located in underserved areas such as arid and semi-arid lands. The EU grant will fund infrastructure and the development of digital educational skills and services in schools in 47 counties. More than 219,000 children will be affected.
The Commissioner also announced €9.9 million in support from the EU, several Member States and their development banks (a ‘Team Europe’ initiative) for the digitisation of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) centres in the country.
In addition to the contribution from the Kenyan government, the European side is expected to contribute a total of €430 million to this initiative, according to the Commission. The partners are Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Slovakia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Austria, the European Investment Bank, AFD, FMO, FinFund and KfW.
The EU and Germany support the creation of a green digital innovation centre. The digital economy package also covers the digitalisation of land governance, customs processes, public procurement, e-justice and cybersecurity. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)