Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced that his government will establish a hackers’ hub at City Hall with the aim of fostering innovation among city residents.
Speaking at the Nairobi Innovation Tech Week on Monday, August 7, Sakaja emphasized that Kenyans possess exceptional abilities, but they lack space to polish their talents. He announced that The Hackers’ Hub would create a big opportunity for programmers to work on high-end, innovative solutions to various challenges facing the city. Hackers who exude brilliant performance will then collaborate with the government to work on developmental programs. The innovations will target essential sectors such as water, transport, and health.
The governor emphasized that participating in the program will be financially beneficial to the talented participants. The county boss urged the innovators to address the persistent traffic issues that are affecting the county. The Governor urged the innovators not to dismiss the move as a mere political ploy. He believes that this move will help to reduce corruption by eliminating money-related interactions and sealing loopholes.
In the past weeks, the Kenyan government had been battling a cyber-attack on its critical online platforms. Private companies were also affected but the extent of the damage is still unknown. The government is yet to identify the perpetrators or their motives.
The eCitizen platform which grants accessibility to more than 5000 governmental services fell prey to hackers, leading to anomalies within the railway and electricity payment systems. To counteract such interference, the Government suggested offering visa-on-arrival to individuals who would have qualified for e-visas. Those who tremendously rely on M-Pesa, an extensively used digital payment facility for transactions at shops, public travel and lodgings, faced difficulties in monetary conductance.
