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Blockchain is the answer to Kenya’s war on corruption – Report

BY Soko Directory Team · July 25, 2019 09:07 am

Corruption in Kenya goes by many names. Some call it The Animal, others The Cancer, others The Dragon while others The Devil but one thing is always clear, corruption is rampant and the war against has to be won.

The government has been at the forefront in trying to fight corruption but it seems that the more the government tries, the more corruption doubles and continues to boil, taking down everything on its way.

Experts are now considering the possibilities of using technology to curb runaway corruption in Kenya. Technology is sweeping across the world. It is like a train that has left the station and Kenya has no choice but to board.

Dr. Bitange Ndemo, in his report on Blockchain and AI, has identified the need to use these two to curb runaway corruption in the country.

Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have been identified as effective tools to curb runaway corruption in Kenya.

According to Cabinet Secretary for ICT Mr. Joe Mucheru, technologies such as the use of blockchain and Artificial intelligence can help Kenya tackle main problems like corruption, land fraud and election disputes.

“Blockchain and AI provide an unprecedented level of integrity, security, and reliability to the information it manages, reducing the risks associated with having a single point of failure,” said Mr. Mucheru.  “I have been sued for not releasing the report. People can now know officially that the report has been handed over to me and that we can now release it to the country and to the world.”

The digital ledger is held and updated by anyone who takes part in maintaining the network. This doubles to be a peer-to-peer platform that eliminates intermediaries, thereby creating trust.

According to the CS, Corruption the biggest obstacle to Kenya’s building endeavors, and technologies such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are emerging as effective tools to deal with the scourge. There is every reason to believe that through the application of emerging technologies including blockchain, corruption will be defeated.

The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of ICT had this to say about the report, “This report clearly outlines the road map for the implementation of blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies in Kenya. These are the technologies that will drive the emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution. It will require a concerted policy environment to realize all the recommendations that the report makes.”

Creating a Blockchain-based land registry would considerably improve the citizens’ ability to prove land ownership (and provide access to credit). It would also reduce the corruption that is prevalent in the existing system. In the education sector, AI exhibits the potential to improve learning outcomes by supporting the delivery of personalized virtual lessons. A good example here is M-Shule, an SMS-based learning platform in Kenya, which uses AI to track and analyze student performance and to deliver lessons that satisfy their needs and increase their competency.

The platform reduces the fear of failure that is inherent in several learning environments, allowing students to advance at their own pace and to ultimately improve their learning outcomes. In the case of both Blockchain and AI technologies, two key conclusions emerge from this report: the need for government to invest in a supportive ecosystem and to develop effective regulations to balance citizen protection and private sector innovation

Soko Directory is a Financial and Markets digital portal that tracks brands, listed firms on the NSE, SMEs and trend setters in the markets eco-system. Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/SokoDirectory and on Twitter: twitter.com/SokoDirectory

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