A multinational record management and digital transformation firm is rapidly revolutionising the information management industry, leveraging technology to complement the government efforts.
Metrofile Group, which is recognised for its contribution to digital transformation across the continent, has successfully digitized over 80 million records for both the Ministry of Lands, Physical Planning and Housing, and National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
The Group Managing Director Jackline Mburu said the assessment of data in government institutions revealed gaps, including the theft and loss of some records.
“We are collaborating with the national government in the digitization of its services to enhance efficiency and safeguard crucial records,” said Ms Mburu in Mombasa.
She said Metrofile is now setting its sights on assisting the pension industry in digitizing its vast repositories of historically paper-based records.
“The industry needs to leverage data for preservation, security, and digital transformation,” she added.
According to Ms Mburu, this data transformation will provide valuable customer insights and improve data utilisation from both a monetisation and security standpoint.
“We want to show the capability for this pension industry to set a trend in this country, where we can use data in a wide way. Data is the new gold. For many years, gold has run different economies, but now data is running trust,” she stated.
Metrofile ensures the security of both physical and digital records. The company operates a 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, where physical documents are stored, organised into registries, and indexed.
Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and the Digital Economy William Kabogo said full digitization of Government manual records will not only enhance efficiency but will also reduce cases of corruption significantly.
CS Kabogo said, “To curb corruption and enhance efficiency, all government ministries will soon transition to paperless operations.”
Speaking during a familiarisation visit of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and Kenya News Agency offices in Mombasa, Kabogo added that the Ministry would ensure that ICT is an enabler for all ministries and agencies.
He said the Ministry is spearheading the establishment of a digital superhighway as espoused in the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“We have made tremendous progress in the Last Mile County Connectivity Project (LMCCP), the establishment of constituencies’ digital innovation hubs, Digital literacy programme among other projects,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
According to CS Kabogo, the ICT Ministry intends to involve the Private Sector players to conclude the National Optic Fiber Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI), which aims to enhance universal access to affordable ICTs countrywide.
He added that, “I will make a countrywide tour to ensure that all government facilities have reliable and stable internet connections to enhance service delivery.”
By Mohamed Hassan
