The Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology Mr. Joe Mucheru has said his Ministry will engage with the Private Sector players to conclude the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI) which aims to enhance universal access to affordable ICTs countrywide.

Mr. Mucheru said the completion of the project will make internet services more reliable, besides enabling citizens to access government services online with ease.

“The Government is committed to increasing internet penetration in the country so as to stimulate innovation among youths and improve public service delivery,” said Mr. Mucheru when he made a maiden tour to the ICT Authority at Teleposta Towers on January 19, 2016.

At the same time, the Principal Secretary (ICT and Innovation) Eng. Victor Kyalo has appealed to local Telephone operators to lower their cable connection rates so as to fast tract the completion of the NOFBI project.

Eng. Kyalo told the Operators who included Safaricom, Orange and Airtel that they would make more profits by increasing telephone connectivity in every part of the country.

“Profits are not in the infrastructure, but in the business,” said Eng. Kyalo during a meeting with telephone service providers in his office recently.

Records at ICT Authority indicate that so far laying of telephone 4G cables has covered 4,300km and 2,100 kms are earmarked to be completed    before the end of this year. A total of 57 towns in 35 counties have been reached.

The project, initiated about seven years ago will connect all county headquarters and most of Government offices with broadband technology.