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Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta read the budget last week amid high expectations from the ICT sector of the economy.
Industry players were expecting, among others, some measures that would cut the cost of equipment, tame the telecommunication sector and funding of stalled ICT projects like the Pasha Centers or digital villages.
In regard to the 2011 budget, all was not lost since the budgetary allocations for energy and computers for schools will be a boost for the growth of ICT.
Electricity is very essential in the roll-out and running of ICT infrastructure.
Though allocated energy estimates will be used in meeting other power demands, the ICT sector in the country will benefit from the Sh65.7 billion allocated to the Ministry of Energy.
The rural electrification programme has in its kitty Sh5.6 billion to facilitate supply of power to 460 trading centres and 110 secondary schools among other public facilities.
Powering of rural areas and schools will create an enabling environment for installing ICT equipment crucial in bridging the digital divide.
This is a boost to areas that have potential for utilising ICT to further economic gains and improve access to the digital world.
Electricity in trading centres will ignite the dreams of Pasha Centers whose purpose is to be public utilities for empowering people in ICT and providing access to government services riding on the adoption of e-government.
Digital villages remain a critical aspect in governmental administration and provision of some essential services especially as the State puts ICT in its operations for efficiency, economic growth and improved governance.
In order to bring to reality the digital villages, the Treasury has allocated Sh210 million for setting up Pasha Centers in constituencies.
Part of the issues that make some rural areas lag in the ICT race is not only lack of power to sustain the ICT infrastructure but also computer illiteracy.
One way of instilling computer skills is to adopt basic computer education in schools. Teaching of computer skills in schools allows youngsters to come to terms with the use of ICTs in modern life.
An enlightened young generation can put its technical skills and talents in transforming the way we apply ICT.
In a bid to set the pace for young people's initiation into the digital world, the government has allocated Sh680 million in the 2011 budget for the purchase of computers for schools.
Most rural schools have no access to computers. For those that do, the reality is a tale of over-stretched facilities with tens of students crowding next to a computer during learning.
Such scenarios inhibit the critical practical aspect in mastering of ICT skills. Worse still an absolute black-out in the digital world characterised by lack of computing facilities in schools puts the young generation at a disadvantaged position compared to the rest of the world.
Finance minister's allocation of Sh680 million for schools is a good start in scaling the needs for ICT in primary and secondary schools.
The benefits of computers in schools are crystal clear. Young people will have more access to digital skills associated with computer literacy and can apply computing knowledge in exploiting opportunities in the ICT world.
Also, with the aid of literacy in computers, they can access information from digital fronts and interact with the rest of the world in the cyberspace. Notably, access to information is a key factor in industrialisation and innovations.
Generally, the ICT sector contributes 3 per cent of the GDP and is set to become a major contributor in the future.
It has in the past received substantial funding in infrastructure building from the government through investments in the TEAMS undersea fibre optic cable and the National Fibre Optic Backbone Infrastructure.
The government is also involved in the setting up of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) centres in line with vision 2030.
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