Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Ministry of Information Communications Technology (ICT) Innovation and Youth, Joe Mucheru, on Thursday, April 14, 2022, officially launched Phase II of the Universal Service Fund Voice Infrastructure Connectivity Project in Akiriamet, West Pokot County.
Funded by the Ministry of ICT and Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the project is keen on ensuring every Kenyan has access to voice and data connectivity.
West Pokot Governor Prof. John Lonyangapuo termed the project a ‘huge milestone’ towards opening up West Pokot County to the rest of the country.

Prof. Lonyangapuo said the county has long lagged behind in infrastructure, especially voice infrastructure, noting that the project will improve security in the area through efficient communication.
Ezra Chiloba, the Director-General of the Communications Authority of Kenya said that the authority is working with various actors to support widespread access to Information Communications Technology (ICT) services to unserved and underserved areas and promote capacity building and innovation in ICT services across the country.
Courtesy of the Universal Service Fund Voice Infrastructure Connectivity Project, 14 sub-locations have been connected to mobile network services in West Pokot County.
The project is part of CA’s plan to avail communications services to 101 areas across the country under the Universal Service Fund (USF) for up to Ksh1.1 billion.
The 14 sub-locations were among those identified for connectivity in the second phase of the implementation of the USF, a special fund created to avail communications services in various parts of the country, especially in areas that are mostly remote and hard-to-reach.
‘‘This project will facilitate residents of the beneficiary sub-locations to enjoy a host of services, including mobile voice, data, Internet, and a bouquet of other value-added services, including mobile money transfer services,’’ said Chiloba.
‘‘Residents of Akiriamet will no longer have to climb trees to look for a mobile network signal again, because of what we have done here. They can spend that time scouting for market opportunities for their livestock, connecting with their people in the four corners of the world,’’ he added.

Other areas that have benefited from the project are; Kases, Kiwawa, Meshau, Lotokum, Kola, Ompolion, Kaptolomwo, Kachawa, Amaler, Emboasis, Kokwoptorir, Marus, and Pkpogoh.
The first phase of the project connected seven public secondary schools to high-speed Internet in the area out of the 884 connected across the country.