Kenya now retains ITU seat based in Romania – Business Daily
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Kenya has successfully defended its seat for a fresh four-year mandate at the Council of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) based in Romania, as it seeks to cement its credentials as a digital economy leader on the continent.
This is after it garnered 146 votes on the Monday election to secure a seat on the 48-member Council, marking the best performance that the country has posted this far at the ITU, with a spike of six votes since the last elections in 2018.
Kenya is one of the 13 African countries to secure a position among peers which include Ghana, Egypt, Tanzania, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal and Nigeria. Others are Tunisia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa.
ITU is a United Nations special agency for Information Communication Technology (ICT). The Council is the supreme organ that governs ITU’s activities during the interval between plenipotentiary conferences.
“The results demonstrate that Kenya continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of the international community to provide meaningful leadership in the advancement of the digital economy,” said the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) in a statement.
Kenya launched its bid for re-election at the ITU Council in May this year, with the State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Esther Koimett spearheading the campaign, backed by players in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the CA.
In the recent past, Kenya has made remarkable strides in the ICT infrastructure, consequently cementing its status as one of the leading tech hubs in the region. Based on various awards, covering areas such as fintech, Kenya is increasingly gaining recognition as an innovation district.
Currently, Kenya’s John Omo sits as the Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union.
The Union is the leading continental body entrusted with building consensus within African countries and coordinating African Common Proposals in international forums.
Last week, members of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) voted for Kenya’s Konza Technopolis to host their annual high-level conference in 2024.
