Strengthening ties for inclusive digital development
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and SPIDER have extended their strategic collaboration in the iPRIS Project, reaffirming a mutual commitment toward inclusive and sustainable digital development in Africa. The latest engagement, hosted by CA, sought to enhance cooperation around regulatory capacity strengthening, policy innovation, and regional alignment. From CA, SPIDER was welcomed by the Director General, Mr David Mugonyi, Patricia Kerretts - Kemei, Mr Fred Onchoka (from the 2023A cohort), and Mr Dominic Ooko (from the 2024C cohort).
Collaboration remains a foundation of the iPRIS project, which aims to strengthen digitalisation via African-led and context-centred solutions. Since the first ITP programme (2016–2022), CA has remained a competent partner, leading in advancing regulatory best practices with technical expertise and a sincere commitment to gender-inclusive issues. The first iPRIS cohort, 2023A, featured CA and they are now alumnus, having completed their cycle in Nov 2024. The current CA participants are in the fourth iPRIS cohort, 2024C, and they are soon to complete their cycle later this year.
Read more about what the 2024C cohort has been up to here
Among the key discussion points during this engagement were:
- The need to frame national regulatory instruments in alignment with prevailing trends in regional and global digital transformation;
- The promotion of local ownership, rooted in national development strategies; and
- The use of data and evidence to make informed choices on policies and universal service activities.
SPIDER and CA discuss matters of digital advancement
Strategic Alignment Leads to Tangible Results
CA mentioned the implementation of fibre deployment guidelines and works having been done on an access gap study, the outcome of which will ensure that universal service funding and infrastructure planning are more effective. Such outcomes are what iPRIS participants look forward to.
SPIDER, as coordinator and implementing partner of iPRIS, pointed to the necessity of institutional alignment and long-term capacity building. According to SPIDER, "the success of iPRIS depends on local leadership and embedding the project's objectives into national strategic priorities."
From left: The Director General of CA, Mr David Mugonyi joined by Mr Dominic Ooko, Patricia Kerretts - Kemei, and Mr Fred Onchoka during discussions with SPIDER
A Platform for Leadership in Digital Policy
The CA-SPIDER partnership continues to assist African regulators in adapting to technological change and in shaping it. In this ever-changing environment for digital policies, institutions must be agile, well-informed, and collaborative. iPRIS thus serves as a key institutional-building platform.
As the future iterations of iPRIS unfold, CA Kenya remains a critical stakeholder, securing Kenya's leadership in regional regulatory excellence and the advancement of inclusive digital development.
iPRIS is coordinated and implemented by SPIDER in strategic and technical partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and the Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR).
iPRIS is funded by the European Union, Sweden, and Luxembourg as part of the Team Europe Initiative “D4D for Digital Economy and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Code: 001).
