Connected Kenya 2011 conference came to a close on today morning. The event has been marked with high attendance and a large number of presentations – some being shelved due to time constraints. Before the closing ceremony , Harry Hare, editorial director of CIO East Africa magazine announced that CIO was accepting applications for 2011 CIO 100 survey. The survey looks at how people are using IT adding that the IT usage must make business for it to qualify. “We look at how organisations are using IT, what is the business value of  IT investments, and what impact IT has to the organisation’s public image,” says Hare. Paul Kukubo, CEO ICT board highlighted various indicators of the Board’s work. He said that the Board had finalised applicants for the Pasha digital village loans, a project in conjunction with Family Bank. An average of Ksh 1.8 million has been issued to successful applicants.

The ICT board earlier on this year held a global conference on developing strategies for the implementation of the Kenya ICT value preposition. The conference was held in Bellagio Italy, funded by Rockefeller foundation. This conference sought to deepen the understanding of Kenya, offer an opportunity for the delegation to network with colleagues comprising leading thinkers in the IT and Outsourcing industry. “We got a perspective of how Kenya should position itself especially around entrepreneurship and innovation,” says Kukubo.

The board’s Wezesha initiative that runs with World Bank funding is distributing 8000 laptops to university students in the country. Each student gets a Ksh 9000 to subsidise the cost of a laptop. The project targets 16000 laptops in 1st phase.  It is part of a wider government initiative which aims to distribute 1 million laptops.

The board will be announcing the second phase of tandaa ICT grants. 14 individuals and firms were awarded grants in the 1st phase in 2010. The board will launch a second and last phase targeting 30 individuals and firms. The grants fund milestones in a project.

Plans to setup a network operations centre and unified communications centre for the government are currently under review. Kukubo says the project will enable the government to use IP telephony. The board, together with the government, will be launching shared services on the 3rd  May.

In her closing remarks,Catherine Ngahu, Chairperson ICT board called for more female representation in the 4th Connected Kenya conference. The conference was officially closed by Dorothy Angote, permanent secretary ministry of lands. The 4th Connected Kenya conference will be held on 2 to 5 April 2012 at a venue to be announced later on in the year.