Kenyan MP Mulls at Re-Introducing Bill to Register ICT Practitioners

Kenyan MP Godfrey Osotsi will re-introduce a legislation in the National Assembly that seeks to regulate the Information, Communications and Technology sector.
“I am sponsoring the ICT Practitioners Bill. This is very key because we cannot do all these good things when our own industry is not regulated. We want to promote professionalism in the industry. There are so many quacks in the industry. We need a proper legislation and regulation,” said Osotsi, ICT Committee Parliamentary Member during a two days conference on the Framework for Digital Markets in Kenya organised by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Kenya and KICTANet a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation.
Ososti said the initial ICT Practitioners Bill that was sponsored by Majority leader Aden Duale faced several challenges but what is being proposed has been improved by expanding its scope within the ICT sector.
Then, one had to be a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in ICT or related field with at least 3 years of relevant experience.
With what is being proposed, Ososti clarified that: “The proposed Bill includes other fields related to ICT, like engineering, mathematics, persons with business programs and individuals with a first degree and persons with experience in the ICT industry.
“The Council in the initial bill was largely going to be government driven. But this one has been designed such that it is going to be largely a member-driven council, a majority of the members of the council are going to be ICT practitioners themselves,” he added.
“It is critical for us to regulate the profession, not as a way of stifling innovation but bringing order,” he said.
The draft is currently in its initial stages, once published, the bill will undergo the parliamentary procedures and then be taken for public participation for industry stakeholders to improve upon it. 
“This time we may be getting it right. I’m holding my comments on this emotive issue until we see the draft bill. He, however, promises widespread public participation,” posted Ali Hussein, CEO Fintexx.