Government and industry view broadband technologies as critical for national and economic development. Reports from many quarters indicate that these technologies can assist communities to realize the benefits of a true information society. Research also indicates that one substantial obstacle to attaining a critical mass of broadband users is the lack of compelling applications and content at a local level. It is against this backdrop that the Kenya ICT Board has partnered with Google to raise awareness on how the Internet can be relevant to Kenyans in everyday life and encourage development of more local digital content. Global statistics indicate that at least 3.4 million Kenyans use the Internet. The development and enhancement of a structured digital content strategy that supports and enables local digital content development is an idea whose time has come. Already there is a plethora of Kenyan content available online. Websites from all professions from health to accounting, law to entertainment provide a valuable recourse for the millions of Kenyans online. But this is not enough. It is already clear that the appetite for local content is resonant and its continued creation in a structured manner is critical for long term sustainability. 

The Kenya ICT Board will bring together local content developers and IT professionals to explore the challenges and opportunities in developing local digital content through bi-monthly events dubbed the Tandaa Symposium on Local Digital Content. The Tandaa Symposium, sponsored by Google, will bring together experts, entrepreneurs, business executives and civil society to explore how to produce more local content for consumption via mobile phones, digital TV and the Internet.
These bi-monthly events will showcase successful initiatives that demonstrate the potential of the Internet for economic and social change. The events will also offer capacity building for business owners, innovators and community groups and show them how to adopt digital technologies and make use of digital content.
 
The Kenya ICT Board and Google believe the event will help generate a public enthusiasm for creating, protecting, using, sharing and preserving content through digital technologies. This is in recognition that Kenya’s digital future depends on its citizens exploiting the opportunities technology offers. The first event was held on March 8, 2010 at the UNES Conference Centre (University of Nairobi, Chiromo campus).
 
Paul Kukubo, CEO, Kenya ICT Board, said the partnership will assist the communities develop relevant content using emerging technologies.
 
 “As we embark on our objective of getting Kenya online, the essential requirement of this partnership is to get Kenyans to understand that this is in the public interest and common good. Working with Google, we aim to look into how communities can use emerging technologies to enables community voice, preserve our culture and bring together all the content that supports them in making informed and wise choices.”
 
Joe Mucheru, Google’s Regional Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa said the venture will be critical in creating business opportunities for the locals as the internet has proved to be a critical tool in promoting commerce and source of knowledge.
 
“We hope that through this partnership we can educate Kenyans on the opportunities the internet offers and that in the end we will see Kenya producing more local content and competing at a global level."
 
The partnership, which offers the Kenya ICT Board support worth Ksh 2.4 million (US$32,000), will result in a sharp increase in the size of the online community in the country and see Kenya move closer to becoming a true knowledge and information economy.