Kenya recently launched Sub-Saharan Africa’s first Open Data Initiative, and is one of a series of firsts for the East African country this year, which has included the launch of Africa’s firstmobile apps labback in June.
The Kenya Open Data Initiative (KODI) was launched at a high profile event in Nairobi yesterday, with Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki present as well as politicians, government officials and IT professionals. It was launched in partnership with organizations such asThe World Bank,Ushahidiandthe iHub.
The initiativeaimsto make core government development, demographic, statistical and expenditure data available in a useful digital format for anyone to access.
Currently there are over 160 datasets on the platform and already there have been some interesting applications of the datasets by a number of organizations.
Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam.
Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders!
Kenya-based blogger, White African,reportedthat the Ushahidi team has used some of the initiative’s census and healthcare data to map information on its newlylaunchedHuduma site. Click on thisgraphical representationto see the mapped data.
And the team atVirtual Kenyahas built an application that shows Kenyan MPs whorefuseto pay taxes:
The data is being made available via theSocrataplatform. As reported inThe New York Times, Socrata calls the Kenyan initiative “one of the most comprehensive open data projects anywhere in the world”, noting that its goal is “to create enabling infrastructure that can accelerate human and economic development throughout communities in Kenya.”
The data is organized into various categories including education, energy, health, water and sanitation, population and poverty.
For more information, visit the Kenyan Open Data initiativeonline. And here’s the video of Kenya’s Open Data Initiative launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k57Snr-r6Q&feature=channel_video_title
Note: An earlier version of this post credited Kenya as haven developed Africa’s first Open Data Initiative. (ODI) Kenya’s ODI is actually the first in Sub-Saharan Africa and not Africa as a whole. Morocco had previously launched one.
Story byNmachi Jidenma
Nmachi Jidenma is a tech and business leader. To get in touch, follow her on Twitter or email her at nmachijidenma@gmail.com(show all)Nmachi Jidenma is a tech and business leader. To get in touch, follow her onTwitteror email her atnmachijidenma@gmail.com
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
