[kictanet] Government acts on driving e-commerce growth

Wed Mar 20 16:59:52 EAT 2013

*Government acts on driving e-commerce growth*

**

*Establishment of a secure online environment will be implemented come
October
*

**

*Nairobi 20th March, 2013: *The government through the Kenya ICT board,
Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) and Directorate of E-government,
today held a forum with stakeholders to sensitise them on what it will take
to secure online transactions. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), is the
national system that the government is implementing to provide digital
certification services.

Through the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), the government will set up an
online identity and verification system where each citizen will be issued
with a unique online identity (digital certificate) that will be required
whenever they take part in online transactions. The project is being
implemented by Korea technology company Samsung SDS.

“Electronic signing is the most ensuring method to help solve a lot of the
on-line crimes we see such as hacking, identity theft and forgery of
sensitive information. Interested individuals will apply for a digital
certificate using their name and ID number and later called in for a
face-to-face authentication process by the Accredited Certificate
Authority. Following the verification process, the applicants will then be
authorized to download the digital certificate to the PC or USB (HSM
token),” explained Evans Kahuthu, Project Manager Information Security at
the Kenya ICT Board.

The online certificate will be a unique Internet ID (a cryptographic key)
that will facilitate access to on-line government services leading to
increased online business.

“Going forward, we will be getting into complex, sophisticated and very
hard to investigate organized cybercrime. It is therefore prudent that the
government readies itself to tackle these new challenges,” said Francis
Mwaura, Senior Assistant Director, and Directorate of E-Government.

 “As the government moves to automate and digitize its records,
e-government will handle a lot of sensitive data, and this calls for
security of these records,” added Francis Mwaura.

The project expected date of completion is October and it will be piloted
at the Kenya Revenue Authority before a roll-out to other government
agencies and ministries. This will mean that those applying for KRA online
services e.g tax returns and pin certificates will have to apply for
digital certificates before they are allowed to transact.

“Internet users have to struggle with a trade-off between convenience and
security. As countries all over the world are making progress in
e-government, all offline activities are being changed into online ones
like e-commerce, e-banking, e-procurement and e-bidding through the
internet. That’s why PKI is so crucial at this time,” said Samsung SDS Vice
President, Sungwon Han.

   “Kenya is taking the lead in East Africa,” said Michael Katundu,
Director Information Technology at CCK, who also chairs the Cyber Security
Steering Committee in the region. CCK will be the root certification
authority and will also accredit private companies who will issue
certification to online users on their behalf. Full details of who
qualifies to be an accreditter will be published on CCK website (www.*cck*.
go.ke).

Immediate beneficiaries of PKI are those that rely heavily on
e-transactions among them; Banks, Tax bodies (KRA), online businesses and
those that hold sensitive information like Medical service providers, legal
entities and government ministries like the Immigration and Lands.

In *2009*, Kenya passed the amendment legislation introducing the
regulation of Electronic Signatures (E-Signature) into the Kenya
Information and Communications Act, *Cap 411A *(as part of e-transactions).

Subsequent *subsidiary legislation* to operationalise this framework was
designed in 2010 in the form of Kenya Information and Communications
(Electronic Certification and Domain Name Administration) Regulations, 2010.

*For more information contact pnyambura at ict.go.ke*

-- 
Phyllis Nyambura
Communication Writer
Kenya ICT Board

Telposta Towers, 12th Floor, Kenyatta Ave
P.O. Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
t: + 254-020-2211960/62 | m: + 254 (0) 789396433 | e: pnyambura at ict.go.ke

Visit: www.ict.go.ke
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