The Technopolis Development Authority has officially broken ground for the Alego Usonga Jitume Digital Centre of Excellence in Siaya County, Kenya. The ceremony took place on October 1, 2026, and was presided over by Joshua Odongo Oron, MP for Kisumu Central Constituency. The centre is part of the Jitume Digital Enablement Programme, which aims to extend digital infrastructure, skills training, and economic opportunities to young people in the region.
The Alego Usonga Jitume Digital Centre of Excellence will serve as a hub where young people in Alego Usonga and the broader Siaya County can access digital equipment, build relevant skills, and explore opportunities within Kenya's growing digital economy. The facility will offer training in areas aligned with the current technology landscape, with pathways into online work, entrepreneurship, and innovation. This will enable young people to acquire skills and knowledge that can help them participate in the digital economy.
The Jitume Digital Enablement Programme has already trained over 100,000 young Kenyans since its launch in 2023. The programme has deployed close to 30,000 digital devices nationally, and 91,428 young people have accessed digital jobs to date. The programme is implemented by Technopolis Development Authority in partnership with the Communications Authority of Kenya, the ICT Authority, and the National Government Constituencies Development Fund.
The Alego Usonga centre is intended to bolster Siaya County's digital ecosystem while contributing to the government's wider ambition of building a nationally connected network of digital opportunity. The centre will provide young people in the region with access to digital infrastructure, skills training, and pathways into the digital economy. This will help to bridge the digital divide and create opportunities for young people in the region.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Joshua Odongo Oron backed the project as a meaningful investment in local youth. He said that young people should not need to leave their communities to benefit from the opportunities the digital economy presents. The establishment of the centre represents an important opportunity for young people in the region to acquire digital skills and participate in the digital economy.
Technopolis Development Authority Chief Manager for Construction, Operation and Management, Eng. Anthony Sang, said that the network of Centres of Excellence is designed to create stronger pathways from digital access to employment. The Jitume Centres of Excellence aim to create an environment where young people can acquire relevant digital skills, innovate, and translate their ideas into opportunities.
The Technopolis Development Authority, formerly known as Konza Technopolis Development Authority, was established under the Technopolis Act, 2026, as Kenya's statutory agency for developing and managing technopolises. Its flagship project, Konza Technopolis, is situated 60 kilometres southeast of Nairobi along the Nairobi-Mombasa corridor. The authority is committed to developing and managing technopolises that can drive economic growth and create opportunities for young people in Kenya.
Key points
- The Jitume Digital Enablement Programme has trained over 100,000 young Kenyans since its launch in 2023.
- The Alego Usonga Jitume Digital Centre of Excellence will provide young people in the region with access to digital infrastructure, skills training, and pathways into the digital economy.
- The centre is part of the government's wider ambition of building a nationally connected network of digital opportunity.
