Bill seeking to license all ICT practitioners enters second reading

All Information Communication Technology (ICT) practitioners will soon be required to have a valid license to operate.

The license which will last for a one year period subject to further renewal will be issued by the ICT practitioner’s institute which will be established once a bill before the house is passed and enacted.

The institute will be required to register all practitioners upon meeting certain requirements.

The bill being sponsored by nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi is being read for the second time.

Click here to read–> Information Communication Technology Practitioners Bill, 2020

According to the Information Communication Technology Practitioners Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 38 Of 2020), if a practitioner is found operating without a valid license, they will be fined Khs 500,000 or face a jail term not exceeding two years or both.

Osotsi said the bill is meant to streamline the sector which has been invaded by many quacks.

” It is very risky that all these professionals are driving the ICT sector without any legal and ethical framework, this Bill has dealt with that problem,” said Osotsi

“Mr. speaker it is high time we need a lot of sanity in the ICT Department, this is a sector where liabilities should be taken off, this is a field that is abused in the country,” added Hon. Majimbo Kalasinga.

Adding that the only way to do this is to go the doctors’ way ‘where you are trained and registered as one, this should apply to those running cyber cafes.’