The adoption of technology in all government transactions is emerging as the solution to the bottlenecks caused by corrupt officials who divert government revenues from their intended destination in Africa's public sector.

The Kenyan government launched the e-Citizen Portal, on June 30, providing citizens with access to over 5,000 government services. This digitalization initiative aims to streamline processes, foster transparency, and minimize corruption.

Under President Ruto's leadership, all ministries, departments, and agencies have digitized their services for the portal. The platform also offers easy access to essential healthcare services, revolutionizing healthcare delivery.

President Ruto announced that citizens can access the services through the e-Citizen platform's USSD code *2222# as well as Gava Express, an offline government service in collaboration with banks and fintechs.

“Gava Express will be available in more than 250,000 M-Pesa shops, 28,000 KCB shops, 40,000 Equity shops, and 22,000 Cooperative Bank shops to serve those without smartphones,” he said

The e-Citizen Portal enables citizens to own and manage their health records and engage in interactive sessions. According to the President, the system eradicates inherent inefficiency, corruption, wastage, and discrimination present in human interactions.

With the e-Citizen Portal, Kenya embraces technology for efficient public service delivery, transparency, and citizen empowerment. The government's vision of a digitized and inclusive future becomes a reality.

Hikmatu Bilali