Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has called for deeper collaboration among government agencies and the private sector as Kenya accelerates its digital transformation agenda.
Mr Kabogo made the remarks in Mombasa on Thursday while closing the Digital Transformation Public Sector Forum and Awards 2026, held under the theme, “Advancing Digital Government, Enhancing Service Delivery.”
The forum brought together senior government officials, State agencies, technology leaders, private sector players and development partners to assess Kenya’s progress in using digital technologies to improve public services.
Mr Kabogo said the country’s digital transformation should ultimately be measured by its impact on ordinary citizens rather than by the number of platforms, systems or technological projects established by government.
He said the Ministry was committed to building a people centred digital government in which technology becomes a practical tool for improving efficiency, accessibility and responsiveness in the delivery of public services.
The forum provided a platform for institutions to showcase innovations aimed at reducing bureaucratic processes, expanding access to services, improving data management and strengthening the interaction between citizens and government.
The awards also highlighted the growing use of technology across sectors including finance, agriculture, education, energy, natural resource management, taxation and land administration.
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) emerged as one of the major beneficiaries, winning the award for Best Digital Innovation in Financial and E-commerce Services for its Capital Market Financial Deepening and Analytic System.
CMA was also named Overall Digital Transformation of the Year 2026, while its Director of Technology and Business Modernization, Solomon Kirwa, was recognised as CTO/CIO/Head of ICT of the Year.
The Fish Levy Trust Fund won the Best Digital Innovation award in Agriculture and Food Security for its Fish Levy Trust Fund System.
In education, Tharaka University was recognised for its Smart Classrooms and Self Paced eLearning Modules Development Initiative, reflecting the growing adoption of digital learning tools in institutions of higher education.
Kenya Power won the Best Digital Innovation award in the Energy sector for its digital self service and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.
The Jaza Miti initiative by the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) won in the Natural Resource Management category and was also recognised as the Best Collaborative Government Digital Initiative.
The awards further recognised efforts to make digital services more accessible. Ardhipay received the Best Digital Inclusion and Accessibility Award, while the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) won the Best Internal Digital Upskilling and Innovation Award for its Teacher Digital Skills and Capacity Building Model for teachers in Kenya.
The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning was named State Department of the Year for its National Stamp Duty Module.
The awards also recognised leadership in public sector digital transformation. Kenya Revenue Authority Director General Adan Mohammed was named CEO/DG of the Year.
The recognition comes as government institutions increasingly shift services from physical offices to digital platforms in an effort to reduce paperwork, improve turnaround times and expand access to government services.
The forum brought together Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy Eng John Kipchumba Tanui, CBS; Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke, EBS; and Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services Dr Belio Kipsang.
Also present were chief executive officers and directors general of government ministries, departments and agencies, representatives of the private sector and development partners, as well as senior government officials.
The gathering underscored the growing role of digital technologies in Kenya’s public administration and the need for continued investment in digital skills, infrastructure, innovation and systems that can work across government agencies.
The Ministry said the digital transformation agenda would continue to focus on ensuring that technology translates into more efficient, accessible and citizen centred public services.
The awards provided a snapshot of the institutions and individuals at the forefront of that transformation, while reinforcing the government’s push towards a more digitally enabled public sector.
