The Kenyan government said it would privatise up to 70% of fixed line operator Telkom Kenya, Minister for Transport and Communications John Michuki told the second African Investment Forum (AIF) in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Speaking in the session on Africa’s digital infrastructure, Michuki said he hoped the privatisation would help to raise the $5,4-billion needed to increase Kenya’s teledensity, from 100 people per line to 20 per line by 2015.
Kenya currently also has two mobile phone operators, with 1,4 million customers and Michuki said the government was in the process of looking for a third operator.
He confirmed that Kenya would shortly appoint four additional backbone operators for the Internet. Together with the ministries for energy and education, his department was looking at providing schools with e-learning facilities.
President Mwai Kibaki and his National Rainbow Coalition was voted into power on December 27 last year, but 100 days after he took office, optimism has been dampened by the realisation the government faces enormous challenges after 39 years of Kanu rule.
Kibaki has pledged to rid Kenya of the corruption that has constrained eastern Africa’s most important economy and to create 500 000 jobs a year and provide free primary education.
Some headway has been made in the fight against corruption. That battle began on Kenya’s dangerous, pot-holed roads after the election as ordinary Kenyans refused to pay bribes to notoriously corrupt traffic police.
Two of the government’s three anti-corruption bills have, however, been set aside because of infighting within the coalition. Passage of the legislation is crucial to get international donors to resume aid.
Building on the success of the ground-breaking Commonwealth-Africa Investment Forum held in Abuja, Nigeria, April 2002, the Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg will explore the means for delivering cross-border development projects.
Stressing the need for some “quick hits” to encourage progress, the sessions will focus on key investment issues including infrastructure development and finance; expanding regional markets; information and communications technology; and agriculture. – I-Net Bridge