The National Assembly Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation (CII) has called for greater accountability, strategic planning, and budget rationalisation in the ICT sector following a session with the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy and its affiliated agencies.
During the session held on Tuesday to review the 2025/2026 budget estimates, lawmakers questioned the inconsistency in project costing, duplication in funding, low absorption capacity, and inadequate sustainability frameworks, particularly in programs such as Studio Mashinani, digital hubs, public Wi-Fi, and cybersecurity infrastructure.
“You have done 10 Studio Mashinani’s in the last 10 years, and now you want to do two in this financial year. What’s your strategy, or are you just riding on the digital hub agenda?” posed Mbooni MP Erastus Kivasu
“We need itemised costing on the end to end budget of Studio Mashinanis. You have big discrepancies on the costing of the studios and digital hubs. You’re asking for millions with no clarity on output or value.” added Bomachoge Chache MP Alfah Miruka.
The Ministry disclosed that its budget for Studio Mashinani is currently zero, despite earlier projections. A previous quote placed the cost of four studios at Ksh40 million, yet a KBC quote came to around 30 million.
The Ministry was further pressed to explain how it intends to manage Ksh7.3 billion in pending bills.
Of this, Ksh1.4 billion is owed by the Government Advertising Agency, Ksh6.9 billion by Postal Corporation of Kenya, and Ksh450 million by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“How are you going to maneuver around your pending bills? This is Treasury’s data. Who’s telling the truth, you or Treasury?” asked Miruka, adding that failure to address these liabilities undermines credibility.
“If resources are constrained, the Ministry must learn to prioritize. Zero budgets on presidential directives will hurt government performance and reputation with the public,” stated Baringo County MP Jematiah Sergon.
The rollout of 1,400 digital hubs under the BETA Digital Superhighway also faced scrutiny over delayed implementation, unclear equipment responsibility, and conflicting mandates between ICTA, Konza Technopolis, and KPLC.
“Why build structures through CDF without a plan for equipping and sustaining them?” asked Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabbir, questioning the wisdom of infrastructure-led rollout without operational clarity.
“We are behind schedule. However, we’ve resolved disbursement flow issues with KPLC and progress is ongoing.” ICTA CEO Stanley Kamanguya admitted.
MPs also called for a status update on compliance with the High Court’s ruling requiring deletion of Kenyan biometric data collected by Worldcoin.
“Where are we on this? Who deletes the data? Is it Worldcoin or the Communications Authority (CA)?” asked Hon. Gideon Kimaiyo, raising concerns about accountability and verification.
The Data Protection Commission noted that it held its first review meeting and has received an affidavit from Worldcoin claiming the data was deleted in 2023 with the verification ongoing.
On cyber security, the Committee expressed concern over siloed operations, low investment, and a Ksh2.8 billion shortfall in funding.
“Cybersecurity must be centralised. Government must stop working in silos,” urged Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie who is also the committee’s chairperson.
“We’re not here to rubber-stamp numbers. We want fiscal responsibility, strategic alignment, and real value for the Kenyan people,” Kiarie stated.
The Ministry assured MPs that a centralised model is being finalised to avoid duplication and enhance national resilience.
Lawmakers criticised the slow pace in connecting remote health facilities to digital infrastructure and the lack of sustainability in public Wi-Fi projects.
“We can’t implement Universal Health Coverage without digital connectivity. What are you doing to prioritize this?” asked Keiyo South MP Gideon Kimaiyo.
Officials said contractors are on site, and a new model involving Internet Service Providers has been developed to manage and maintain public Wi-Fi networks.
The KDEAP project, co-funded by the World Bank, was cited for poor absorption and administrative delays. “You’ve had the money, but your absorption is too low. Should we reduce your budget?” challenged Miruka.
The committee also raised alarm over funding cuts to the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), warning that such reductions undermine Kenya’s long-term ICT goals.
“With the cuts, KAIST won’t even have enough to recruit one professor per department. CUE can’t accredit a university without faculty. This is a national priority,” said Prof. J. Khamasi.
