State starts process of licensing more digital certification service providers

Source: Capital FM Kenya
Author: Wangechi Purity

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 20 - The government has committed to delivering digital certification services to application developers as well as consumers, including businesses and individuals.

While giving his remarks at the annual National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI) Forum that kicked off yesterday, the Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), David Mugonyi, revealed that the government has embarked on licensing more Electronic Certification Service Providers (E-CSPs) to deliver digital certification services.

"We are now licensing Electronic Certification Service Providers to deliver digital certification services to application developers and consumers. With world class digital certification services, consumers can verify the integrity of documents signed electronically, as well as the identity of the sender," said Mugonyi.

According to him, the government has only authorized four ECSPs, the entities that have been licensed to provide digital signatures in the country.

As the country continues to tap into the potential of the digital economy, he pointed out that the government is focusing on increasing the uptake of licenses so that customers can verify the integrity of documents signed online.

"We currently have 4 licensed Electronic Certification Service Providers in the country, while 9 others are in the licensing process. We look forward to increased uptake of these licenses," he said.

"This will make digital services both public and private to be more efficient and trustworthy," he added, stating that digital signatures will foster secure online transactions in the digital economy landscape.

The two-day National Public Key Infrastructure Forum kicked off in Nairobi, bringing together cyber security experts from Kenya and Africa to discuss various strategies for strengthening the digital economy through the adoption of digital signatures.

The NPKI framework combines both a regulatory framework and technology to facilitate the rollout of digital certification services in the country.