After three years of delays and false starts, the construction of a multibillion-shilling Information Communication Technology (ICT) software development factory in Mulot, Bomet County, is finally taking shape.
The Konza Technology Development Authority has broken ground for the Jitume ICT hub on 50 acres recently acquired by the county government.
The government aims to create Kenya’s version of Silicon Valley in a rural setting. Once complete, the facility will become the only software development hub in East and Central Africa.
Mulot, which has three trading centres, straddles between Bomet and Narok counties. It has gained notoriety for cybercrime, particularly SIM swap fraud.
Hundreds of youths from the area have been arrested for illegally swapping mobile phone SIM cards and using them to transfer money from bank accounts, process fraudulent loans and withdrawing cash from mobile lending platforms.
The makeshift Mulot ICT hub when it opened on July 29, 2022.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
“The ICT hub will be set up by the Kenyan Government in collaboration with global ICT companies as part of our digital economy agenda to create employment and income streams for the youth,” President Ruto said during a thanksgiving event at Bomet Green Stadium.
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok said the county government secured 50 acres in Mulot, Bomet East Constituency, to set up the centre which is expected to transform the region from a cybercrime hotspot to an ICT hub.
Government officials said that following the acquisition of the land, the tendering process is expected to be completed before the end of the 2024/2025 financial year or early in 2025/2026.
The ICT hub was first launched on July 29, 2022, when then ICT Authority board chairman Prof Fredrick Owino, representing then Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru, presided over a groundbreaking ceremony on a 4.5-acre plot in Mulot owned by the county government.
“The decision to set up this facility is due to the potential and creativity of the local youth, which needs to be tapped to develop software for various platforms,” Prof Owino said.
However, construction stalled due to a lack of government funding as the project was announced just before the 2022 General Election.
A stone plaque marking the launch was later vandalised, and there was a break-in into a makeshift ICT hub set up for locals where desktop computers and other equipment were stolen.
Authorities suspect that cybercrime masterminds were behind the incident in a bid to frustrate the project’s rollout.
Some residents are wary of the government’s plan to establish an ICT hub in Mulot, fearing that it may be a strategy to round up cybercrime suspects.
“We are monitoring the development of the software factory closely. Some of us suspect it might be a trap to arrest those linked to cyber fraud rather than a genuine effort to train youth,” a known scammer told Nation on condition of anonymity for fear of arrest and persecution.
The main road leading into Mulot town, Bomet County pictured on November 2, 2022.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
He further said that residents were surprised by the government’s decision to choose Mulot for the ICT hub, as cybercriminals in the area had outsmarted law enforcement agencies.
Authorities are baffled at how local youths, some who are primary school dropouts, have been able to bypass security systems in banks and mobile platforms to steal money. There are growing concerns that rogue former and serving employees of financial institutions may be aiding the cybercriminals, as banks and mobile service providers have yet to fully disclose the extent of security breaches.
All eyes are now on Mulot to see whether the ICT hub will mark the beginning of a digital revolution or simply reinforce its reputation as a cybercrime hotspot.
Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei told Nation that the delays in transferring the land title from the county to the national government had jeopardised project funding.
“I had to personally intervene and use my own money to facilitate the title deed transfer so the national government could formally take over the project. The slow pace of handling such matters in the county is frustrating,” said Mr Sigei.
The President is reported to be keenly following the progress being made and has frequently sought updates on projects.
In phase one of the project, the Jitume ICT Centre of Excellence will be set up to offer digital and ICT training to local youth.
Governor Barchok said that the groundbreaking for the project is a “giant leap forward” toward realising the vision of a software development hub in Mulot.
“Beyond training, the ICT factory will collaborate with local public schools and communities on mutually beneficial programmes,” he added.
Bomet East MP Richard Yegon said the project will be transformative as it will create job opportunities in ICT, real estate, transport, hospitality, retail and wholesale business.
“We are grateful to the government for choosing Bomet for a project of this magnitude. It will open up the region and allow the youth to harness their ICT potential,” said Mr Yegon.
Bomet Chief Officer for ICT Stella Rotich said the software development factory will attract investment in the South Rift region.
“This project will put Mulot on the global map and attract investors in various sectors, create employment and boost the local economy,” Ms Rotich said.
A foundation stone laid to mark the grounds for the Kenya Software Factory in Mulot, Bomet County pictured on November 2, 2022.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media group
Konza Technopolis officials Mr Francis Mwangi and Ms Beth Gitonga said this is the first software development hub outside Nairobi and aligns with the government’s digital economy agenda to create jobs in rural areas.
For the past 15 years, Mulot Central and Mulot Oloomirani in Narok County and Mulot Sunset in Bomet County have been infamous for fraudulent money transfers.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Cybercrime Unit have struggled to crack down on SIM swap fraud in the region as many victims decline to pursue cases after arrests are made.
Cybercrime masterminds in Mulot have reportedly recruited primary, secondary and college students into the illegal trade.
Some drop out of school and pay between Sh15,000 and Sh40,000 for training in digital fraud schemes.
Recent crackdowns have forced some perpetrators to relocate to Nakuru, Eldoret, Nairobi, Kajiado, and Kiambu where they continue their operations.
Several young men suspected of involvement in cyber fraud have recently disappeared only to be found dead days later. Most such cases have been reported in Kiambu and Nairobi counties, which have become operational hubs for criminals.
Additionally, some suspects have moved to remote areas such as Siongiroi, Chebunyo, Sigor, and Olbutyo in Chepalungu Constituency to evade law enforcement.
