Former ICT Permanent Secretary, Bitange Ndemo, has been tapped by the Government to lead an 11-member taskforce on blockchain technology.
ICT Cabinet Secretary, Joe Mucheru, explained that the team would have a tenure of three moths and would be tasked with coming up with a roadmap for the use of the technology locally, noting that there were obvious applications for it in the Education and Lands sectors.
Others on the team are Steve Chege, Juliana Rotich, John Gitau, Mahmoud Mohammed Noor, Dr Charity Wayua, Elizabeth Ondula, John Walubengo, Lesley Mbogo, Michael Onyango and Fred Michuki.
The unveiling of the taskforce comes a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta called on the ICT ministry to form a taskforce that would focus on how Kenya can leverage blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
Speaking at an event held at Strathmore University on Tuesday, he stated: "We need to better understand the opportunities for blockchain technology, the risks of cybersecurity and the essential education and skills that our young people will need to make new technology work for them."
[caption caption="CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge"]
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There has been a raging debate in recent months over the government's position on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which are based on blockchain technology.
Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Patrick Njoroge was among those who added their voice to the conversation.
In January, Njoroge warned Kenyans that they could 'lose all their money' if they invested blindly in cryptocurrencies.
“If you want to invest in those things, know that it is a bubble of a kind. Be ready to lose all your money. It is dangerous,” he cautioned.
The CBK governor further noted that many of his peers from other countries shared the same position.
There have also been concerns over new schemes by unscrupulous individuals to fleece Kenyans masked as cryptocurrency ventures.
Such scams capitalize on the fact that many people do not quite understand how blockchain or cryptocurrencies work.
Ndemo is remembered by many Kenyans for his stint in the ICT Ministry during former President Mwai Kibaki's regime.
The notable transformation witnessed in the country's ICT sector in that period earned Kenya the name 'Silicon Savannah'.
[caption caption="File image of Bitange Ndemo (Courtesy)"]
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