Dedan Kimathi University of Technology - Head of DeST-Park, crowned the best in the Women in Tech category

Ruth Muriithi, Head of DeKUT Science and Technology Park (DeST-Park), crowned the best in the Women in Tech category during the 11th ICT Connected Summit 2022 held in Kwale County

Ruth Muriithi Head of DeKUT Science and Technology Park DeST Park crowned the best in the Women in Tech category during the 11th ICT Connected Summit 2022 held Kwale County pic1

During the 11th ICT Connected Summit 2022 held in Kwale County, our very own Ruth Muriithi, Head of the DeKUT Science and Technology Park (DeST-Park), was named the best in the Women in Tech category.

The four-day conference guided by the theme 'Accelerating Digital Transformation' was organized by the ICT Authority. The forum brought together a broad range of industry players from the private and public sectors and academia. It deliberated on issues shaping the ICT landscape and the transformational role it plays in all sectors of the economy.

The conference covered a broad range of topics such as digital infrastructure growth, emerging and smart technologies, ICT as an economic accelerator, open data and data protection, digital currency, cyber security, and catalyzing e-commerce for employment and wealth creation, among other relevant topics.

The Connected Summit deliberated on a master plan anchored on four pillars: digital infrastructure, digital services, data management, digital skills and innovations, and enterprise and digital business. The master plan seeks to provide the roadmap for the structured delivery of ICT in Kenya and create a digital society and economy that can exploit the dynamic sector's national, regional, and global opportunities.

ICT and Innovations Principal Secretary (PS), Jerome Ochieng, who presided over the official closing ceremony, said the annual summit offers a platform where industry players, government, innovators, and other key stakeholders share and exchange on how 'ICT can continue to be a catalyst of service delivery. The P.S. further stated that this year's 'connected summit' came when Kenya is fast transforming into a regional ICT hub courtesy of huge investment in the sector, propelling the country into a 'globally competitive digital economy.

He acknowledged the importance of modern technology in policy and informed decision-making, noting that ICT is at the 'heart of many sustainable development issues globally.'

Ochieng said he hopes the summit will adopt a permanent stature and become a vibrant showcase not only in Kenya but also become an 'African spectacle with lasting impact beyond our borders."By going continental, we will be able to showcase Africa's capabilities, build better cooperation among industry players and open new markets and spur socio-economic development," he said.

Ochieng concluded by saying that these ambitions are strongly echoed in Africa's Agenda 2063 and African Continental Free Trade Area strategic framework, which aims to accelerate intra-African trade and boost Africa's trading position in the global market by strengthening its familiar voice and policy space in global trade negotiations.