Success Story The task Improved access to government services will be just one benefit of Kenya‘s new constitution, unveiled in 2010. The new constitution will guide the devolution of Kenya‘s government, shifting a large share of responsibilities from a centralized government base to the governments of its 47 counties. Under these new terms and revised structure, it will be central to provide equal access to government services to all Kenyan citizens, across all counties. To enable this, each county will require quick and secure connections to Kenya‘s National Optical Fiber Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI), which will in turn require the implementation of a voice and data IP network and an IP telephony infrastructure throughout the entire country. The solution The Siemens Enterprise Communications / Soulco Projects consortium has provided: ■ ■ HiPath 4000 V6 platform with OpenScape Video ■ ■ 5,500 OpenStage 20 telephone sets ■ ■ Last-mile connectivity using IP-based Wireless Outdoor Routing Protocol radio systems for connection to the country’s national fiber optic network ■ ■ Secure Enterasys data components for WAN and LAN applications ■ ■ Readiness to incorporate the country’s changing institutional ambitions into the project ■ ■ Financing according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) procedures granted by the Belgian government The benefits The County Connectivity Project is building the foundation of a public service that will provide all citizens with equal access to high-quality public services, in line with Kenya’s new constitution. When the necessary ICT infrastructure is in place and all 47 counties connected, all county governments will be linked to the Central Administration. This will provide more efficient, relevant and accessible interactive services to citizens and businesses in all locations, regardless of how remote or central. The last-mile County Connectivity Project is the first to leverage the Kenyan government’s terrestrial 5,500 km National Optical Fiber Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI). It is an important step towards transitioning Kenya from a highly centralized government to a devolved government system. Siemens Enterprise Communications www.siemens-enterprise.com Technology bolsters the transfer of power in Kenya The County Connectivity Project is laying the foundation of a new e-government strategy in the Republic of Kenya. This project is part of Kenya‘s 2010 constitutional imperative to devolve governmental power to 47 counties, and is managed by the consortium of Siemens Enterprise Communications and the Belgian Soulco Projects. “Having access to efficient e-services from the government should be as easy as buying a loaf of bread,” says Dr. Katherine Getao, ICT Secretary in charge of Kenya’s e-Government Directorate.
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Success Story
The task
Improved access to government services will be just one benefit of Kenya‘s new constitution, unveiled in 2010. The new constitution will guide the devolution of Kenya‘s government, shifting a large share of responsibilities from a centralized government base to the governments of its 47 counties. Under these new terms and revised structure, it will be central to provide equal access to government services to all Kenyan citizens, across all counties. To enable this, each county will require quick and secure connections to Kenya‘s National Optical Fiber Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI), which will in turn require the implementation of a voice and data IP network and an IP telephony infrastructure throughout the entire country.
The solution
The Siemens Enterprise Communications / Soulco Projects consortium has provided:
■■ HiPath 4000 V6 platform with OpenScape Video ■■ 5,500 OpenStage 20 telephone sets■■ Last-mile connectivity using IP-based Wireless Outdoor Routing Protocol radio systems for connection to the country’s national fiber optic network ■■ Secure Enterasys data components for WAN and LAN applications■■ Readiness to incorporate the country’s changing institutional ambitions into the project■■ Financing according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) procedures granted by the Belgian government
The benefits
The County Connectivity Project is building the foundation of a public service that will provide all citizens with equal access to high-quality public services, in line with Kenya’s new constitution. When the necessary ICT infrastructure is in place and all 47 counties connected, all county governments will be linked to the Central Administration. This will provide more efficient, relevant and accessible interactive services to citizens and businesses in all locations, regardless of how remote or central. The last-mile County Connectivity Project is the first to leverage the Kenyan government’s terrestrial 5,500 km National Optical Fiber Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI). It is an important step towards transitioning Kenya from a highly centralized government to a devolved government system.
Technology bolsters the transfer of power in KenyaThe County Connectivity Project is laying the foundation of a new e-government strategy in the Republic of Kenya. This project is part of Kenya‘s 2010 constitutional imperative to devolve governmental power to 47 counties, and is managed by the consortium of Siemens Enterprise Communications and the Belgian Soulco Projects. “Having access to efficient e-services from the government should be as easy as buying a loaf of bread,” says Dr. Katherine Getao, ICT Secretary in charge of Kenya’s e-Government Directorate.
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At the end of 2011, the Kenyan e-Government Directorate (the strategic advisor on ICT issues to the Government of Kenya) reported that a national survey found the telephony infrastructure in all counties to be in serious disarray: only 59% of the existing voice PABXs were operational and none had external PSTN routing; no maintenance was being carried out on the fixed infrastructure; PABX rooms were dilapidated; and there was no centralized approach for WAN or LAN infrastructure.
At that time, the Siemens Enterprise Communications / Soulco Projects consortium began the County Connectivity Project to provide last-mile connectivity to government offices in 29 Kenyan counties. The aim was to connect the approximately 5,500 users in a transparent, real-time IP-based voice communication network.
Soulco Sales Director and Member of the Board, Jan De Keuster, was involved in the project from the beginning. “We had a strong team in place with a ‘never-give-up’ mentality. Financially, the Belgian authorities supported our proposal. And we combined a robust technical solution with local and Belgian support. Our proposal included
maintenance for three years, ensuring continuity of service based on a three-level maintenance program. Under the terms of the proposal, Siemens Enterprise Communications experts will provide high-tech third-level maintenance. Last but not least, we have put a ‘train-the-trainer’ program in place to assure capacity building. Our customers’ staff will be trained, guaranteeing that all counties – including Nairobi – will have their own technical support capability to manage the infrastructure locally.”
Getting inside the customer’s mindset
Belgian Ambassador Bart Ouvry was closely involved in the negotiations. “The main challenge is to make sure that public services in all counties are of high quality and in-tune with federal legislation. You need to link up county governments with the central administration so that more efficient, relevant and accessible interactive services can be offered on a sustainable basis to citizens and businesses.”
“The consortium of Siemens Enterprise Communications and Soulco Projects got inside the customer’s mindset,” the Ambassador continues. “We started to work together before the devolution scheme was decided. Since then, the project dramatically changed. The consortium showed its flexibility and willingness to talk and participate in this evolution, and developed a strong community presence by participating in local meetings and being available daily to work closely with the e-Government Directorate and county governments.”
IP platform to provide more efficient, reliable public service to citizens
The project addresses the constitutional duty of the public authorities to provide equal municipal services throughout the country, which satisfies the Office of the President, explains Dr. Katherine Getao, ICT Secretary of the e-Government Directorate. “Kenya accepted a new
constitution which created a national government and 47 individual county governments. It created a Bill of Rights that establishes a strong set of civil freedoms for its citizens. Regardless of where in the country Kenyans live, they have the right to receive the same quality of services. The government must deliver these services as closely as possible to where citizens live. According to the Vision 2030 charter, Kenya will become a middle-income country with a high standard of living for its citizens. We must provide public services that bring dignity and quality to the lives of our people. The County Connectivity Project clearly ties in to this objective.”
It also will establish a more efficient and reliable public service for citizens, driving economic growth. “With the IP network, the maintenance issues of our old telephony network belong to the past,” says Thomas O. Odhiambo, Senior Assistant Director of the e-Government Directorate at the Office of the President. “The centralized monitoring and support provided over the IP network allows us to properly manage all the new equipment installed.” The IP platform will promote transparency, ensuring greater public responsibility among staff while lowering administrative costs.
Once the project was underway, staff at the Office of the President understood the unique quality of the voice and data network offered to Kenyans, and recognized its role in meeting the requirements of the devolved government mandated by the new constitution. “The scope of the project changed,” says Dr. Getao, who joined the President’s Office when the original project was already in roll-out. Dr. Getao has prioritized the implementation of the constitution through the use of ICT to deliver public services to all Kenyans, and to achieve the country’s Vision 2030 by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government. “We are now developing a private cloud-based enterprise system that will allow the national government to offer a wide range of services to its citizens. The project has grown as our national aspirations have risen. That is why it’s a high-visibility project here.”
Thomas Odhiambo has witnessed the project’s growth from the beginning. “The benefits to the population are obvious,” he says. “For example, obtaining a national ID card before required a paper form to be filled in and
“We have challenged each other along the journey to achieve our goals, and this has led to a friendship between us; one which will inspire new opportunities in the future.”
Dr. Katherine Getao, ICT Secretary of the e-Government Directorate, Office of the President, Republic of Kenya
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“The centralized monitoring and support provided by the IP network allows us to properly manage all the newly-installed equipment.”
Thomas O. Odhiambo, Senior Assistant Director of the e-Government Directorate, Office of the President, Republic of Kenya
submitted to the district commissioner, which was then physically transported to Nairobi. Officials typically bundled such forms in one dispatch which further delayed them. Once at the capital, the paper form had to be processed further, and forms often got lost causing weeks of delay. Now, local authorities can instantly display the form on the government server, insert the citizen’s data, electronically transmit the request and even track its status. This way, the citizen will know the exact delivery date of his or her ID card.”
Video conferencing that matches cultural preferences
The Siemens Enterprise Communications HiPath 4000 platform hosts a wide range of business applications, such as OpenScape Video. Video collaboration in particular fits with the Kenyan culture. Says Thomas Odhiambo, “In Kenya,
we like to see who we are talking to. The County Commissioners now call other counties and have live video conversations with each other, saving considerable time and travel costs. Digital communication is the key to the future since turn-around times for physical communication are too slow. We need fast tools to effectively collaborate and efficiently share views and messages. People are hungry for the vibrant conversations enabled by this technology.”
Soulco Kenya’s CEO Kris Verspecht underscores the importance of the County Connectivity Project to help governments become more efficient. “Key departments that will rely heavily on the platform include branch offices representing the President, the Treasury, Immigration, and Kenya Revenue Authority. Future offices may include the Judiciary, and Police as well as the Ministry of Lands, among others. The
Video conferencing aligns with Kenyan culture
The African tradition of oral communication as well as its history is reinforced and made deeply personal through vibrant, visual expression. This is especially true in Kenya, where people prefer to see who they are talking to for personal as well as business discussions.
High-quality, easy-to-use OpenScape video solutions not only provide time and travel savings, but reinforce this cultural preference found in many global societies. “In Kenya, we like to see who we are talking to,” says Thomas Odhiambo, Senior Assistant Director of the e-Government Directorate.
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Immigration office, for example, needs the infrastructure to roll out services such as an integrated information platform to register birth and death certificates. The system provides relevant information to the central government in real-time as transactions are processed by users.”
Completing the last mile in all counties
Dr. Getao credits the Belgian Ambassador as one of the driving forces behind the milestone project. “The Ambassador listened carefully to our needs and his background in diplomacy was helpful. As the effort evolved from a telephony project to a full-fledged broadband network-based services venture, we realized we were financially ill-equipped. We had to find funds to connect more than the 29 counties originally foreseen. His efforts will now allow us to advance the project into the second phase – connecting all 47 counties – and a third phase to introduce more applications.
We continue to work closely with our Belgian partners, as well as those currently facilitating these contacts.”
The last-mile County Connectivity Project is the first to leverage the Kenyan government’s terrestrial 5,500 km National Optical Fiber Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI). It is an important step towards transitioning Kenya from a highly centralized government to a devolved government system. Says Dr. Getao, “Our partners at Soulco Projects and Siemens Enterprise Communications have been extremely flexible collaborators, even when the project’s scope changed. There is still a lot of work needed to complete the last mile of connectivity in all counties. Some are the size of Belgium, so it’s not that simple to meet the target. We have challenged each other along the journey to achieve our goals, and this has led to a friendship between us; one which will inspire new opportunities in the future.”
About Soulco…
The Soulco group, with headquarters in Belgium, consists of several companies mainly active in the Middle East and Africa. Soulco Distribution, as a Premier Certified GOFORWARD! Value-Added Distributor, has more than 50 local partners supported (sales, pre-sales, training and services) by their competence centers in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Soulco Projects N.V., headquartered in Belgium, is an ICT & Security integrator for large and complex projects. The company offers the full range of project-related services such as concept and planning, detailed solution design, project management, installation and commissioning, training and after-sales services. To strengthen the local impact, Soulco Projects works closely together with its sister companies within the Soulco group in Kenya, Algeria and Egypt. Soulco Projects specializes in projects for government, university, and airport/maritime port applications. In addition to its work for the Kenyan government, Soulco has also designed and installed ICT & Security solutions for Ghana’s parliament and administrative tower block, the government of Tanzania and the Presidency of Algeria.
