Regional chiefs told to adopt technology

Governors were on Monday urged to tap into technology as a way of delivering faster and efficient services in counties.

Addressing the Governors’ Summit ending Tuesday in Naivasha, Nation Media Group chief executive Linus Gitahi noted that technology would help counties to do more quicker and cheaper.

“It allows us to avoid graft and waste, and increases our return on investment. This will in turn help grow our economies and the amount of money saved can be invested even further,” Mr Gitahi noted.

Mr Gitahi gave the example of Rwanda which, by tapping into technology, increased efficiency.

Due to the move, the country was ranked as the second easiest place to do business in Africa by the World Bank, only behind Mauritius.

“Rwanda has, in the space of a few years, gone from being one of worst places to do business to number 32 out of the 189 countries surveyed,” Mr Gitahi added.

He urged the counties to partner with each other to help cut the cost of doing business. “The true strength of our counties will be found in the sum of their parts. The counties that succeed will be those that are able to cooperate and build partnerships.”

Specialisation, Mr Gitahi added, would also help counties succeed.

“The counties that will focus on their key competitive advantages will likely be those that will rapidly develop.”

The summit is sponsored by Nation Media Group together with audit firm PWC, Rafiki deposit taking microfinance, Britam, National Bank, Mount Kenya University, Kenyatta University, Cooperative Bank, Oracle and Family Bank.