The government has made known its intentions to equip more than 100,000 public servants with digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills related to the development of a tech-driven and innovation-powered public service.
Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Stephen Isaboke, revealed the information during the opening of a sensitization session on the Digital and AI Skilling programme that was attended by more than 100 public communication officers from different ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
Isaboke urged government communicators to utilize new technologies to be able to cope with the rapidly changing information environment of the day. “To be able to reach out effectively to the public through the use of technology, communication officers in the public sector should be in the forefront to be the holders of digital and AI-related skills,” he said.
He also confirmed that the project, which is a joint initiative between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Microsoft, intends to equip government officers with the latest tools to facilitate data-driven and citizen-centered services. “Beyond just upgrading service delivery, this initiative will also create a frontier for public service to be ranked among the top innovators in technology usage,” said the PS.
The exercise is a significant move in the government’s digital transformation agenda that is hinged on the use of AI and other latest technologies in governance, public administration, and citizen service delivery.
