ICT infrastructure and e-government adoption among local authorities in Kisumu county, Kenya

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) plays a critical role in sustainable human development and governance. ICT is a powerful enabler of development goals because of the way in which it improves communication and the exchange of knowledge and information necessary for development processes. ICT is pervasive and cross-cutting, impacts the full range of human activity and will become one of the main enablers in the pursuit of poverty alleviation and wealth creation in developed and developing countries. ICT infrastructure and E-Governance adoption has been a source of concern for the local authorities in Kisumu. The government has been relying heavily on local means of communication like local gatherings, or had challenges with the existing ICT infrastructure whereby information cannot be accessed online; this has made the government unable to offer country wide services to its citizens. The study aimed at investigating ICT infrastructure and e-government adoption among local authorities in Kisumu county, Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives; To establish the level of egovernment adoption among local authorities in Kisumu County; To establish the extent of ICT Infrastructure deployment at the Local authorities of Kisumu County; To establish the effect of ICT infrastructure on e-government initiatives. To study employed the use of questionnaires and interview schedules, The study used descriptive and inferential analysis techniques to analyze data. The descriptive statistic included mean and the standard deviations, which indicated the average performance of a group or a measure of some variable. The study used inferential statistics in multiple regressions. Tables and percentages were used in data presentation. This was done with the aid of a computer programmes - Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 for windows. Findings of the study concluded that Effective penetration and utilization of ICT in the public service for high-end value-adding operations in local government is crucial to enhance effective and efficient services that satisfy the citizens and other stakeholders. ICT penetration and utilization in the local government has not reached the levels necessary to reap the benefits of ICT in service delivery, the study recommends that the government should adopt the use of cyberspace as the new space for social and political organization. This will enable the government in re-organization of the social, political and economic affairs of their government through popular uprisings organized and coordinated using the power of social media.