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The government will provide 25,000 markets in the country with free wifi, Information, Communications and Digital Economy Eliud Owalo Cabinet Secretary said yesterday.

 He said the aim is to enable traders to use Internet to sell and buy their goods without physically travelling to meet clients.

 Owalo said in addition to the market connections, digital laboratories will be set up in all electoral wards to drive digital uptake in rural areas.

 “We also plan to digitize all government services to end queues in government offices. This will ensure bribery in government offices is buried forever,” the CS said.

 He was speaking in Ol Jabet town in Laikipia West, when he launched free wifi for the local market.

 The Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development Rebecca Miano who attended the ceremony called for extension of the wifi to the part of Ol Jabet town that has high population of traders including jua kali artisans.

 Reacting to call by the Marmanet MCA Simon Kanyutu’s call for the government to end conflict over space among jua kali artisans, she promised that his Trade counterpart Moses Kuria will visit the town to solve the problem.  Kanyutu called for the free wifi to be extended to education institutions located around town.

ICT Authority Chief Executive Stanley Kamanguya said they will soon return to Ol Jabet to “educate the people on how to make better use of the wifi.”  Laikipia County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri also attended the function.