IDG News Service —
The Kenya ICT Board has invited local developers to create new content applications with the support of a 312 million Kenyan shilling (US$4.1 million) grant.
The content grant will target the development of at least 15 new applications for the private sector over the course of a year, said Paul Kukubo, the board's CEO. The grant will cover the expenses for service and content development, licensing fees, advocacy, and awareness campaigns, he added.
"Government-related content development will be allocated 195 million shillings, while private sector applications will be financed up to 117 million shillings," Kukubo said.
The details of the content grant were revealed at a public forum hosted by the ICT Board under the Local Content Development Program, which focuses on the development of local content for both the Kenyan and global markets.
"There is a debate on whether content is local because a Kenyan developed it in Kenya, whether content is local because it is created in Kenya, or whether content is local because it's created for Kenya," Kukubo said.
"Once the local content is developed, there will be need for storage facilities," noted Bitange Ndemo, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication.
Therefore, the content development program will be complemented by two national data centers that the government is erecting in Nairobi and Mombasa.
