Kenya: President Ruto Lauds Digitruck for Empowering Grassroots Innovation in Kenya

27 November 2023
Capital FM (Nairobi)

Nairobi — Kenya's President William Ruto has commended the DigiTruck program for its dedication to nurturing grassroots innovation and encouraged young people to harness its potential.

During his visit to the DigiTruck as part of the Kenya Innovation Week - Commonwealth Edition project on Monday, President Ruto, accompanied by Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, emphasized that innovation stands as the cornerstone of global development today.

He expressed his appreciation for Huawei Technologies' ongoing efforts to cultivate digital skills and drive innovation at the grassroots level across the country. President Ruto highlighted the DigiTruck program as a truly bottom-up initiative designed to foster robust innovative capabilities by providing access to technology, the internet, and mentorship.

The DigiTruck initiative, a part of Huawei's TECH4ALL program, operates in collaboration with various partners, including the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports, as well as the Ministry of Information, Communications, and Digital Economy.

As a passionate advocate for the vital role of innovation in Kenya's success, President Ruto engaged with Mohamed Suleiman, a grassroots innovator from Mombasa County. Mohamed, who received 40 hours of digital skills training in March 2022 and won the DigiTruck Innovation Award in Mombasa, subsequently began providing digital skills training to other young individuals for a nominal fee. Not only have these youth utilized their newfound skills to generate income, but Mohamed's business has flourished to the extent that he could purchase a motorbike and establish a delivery service.

The DigiTruck plays a pivotal role in imparting digital skills in rural areas, empowering young people to leverage computers and the internet for online education, remote work, e-commerce, and online safety. This initiative forms an integral part of Huawei's global TECH4ALL digital inclusion program and action plan. Under the DigiTruck Innovation Award, the top three business ideas proposed by trained youth on how to utilize their digital skills for community betterment are selected.

This comprehensive program is made possible through a partnership involving Huawei, the Ministry of Youth, Creative Economy and Sports (in collaboration with the Kenya National Innovation Agency and National Youth Council), the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy (in partnership with the ICT Authority), Safaricom, Computers for Schools Kenya, National Government Affirmative Action Fund, and Close the Gap. It underscores a shared commitment to nurturing grassroots innovation and enhancing digital literacy in Kenya.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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