Kenya spends $350k to buys iPads for its lawmakers

[RaduTyrsina]

Kenya spends $350k to buy iPads for its lawmakers

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Countries from all over the world are gradually making the switch towards a paperless governance. The Parliament of Kenya is joining this trend as it plans on purchasing around 450 iPads to be used by representatives and staff in the East African nation's National Assembly and Senate. Thus, the institution will get rid of more than half a million sheets of paper it uses every week when the parliament is in session. Alphonce Shiundu from Kenya's Standard Digital News publications says the following:

The gadgets will be used by the 349 MPs and 67 senators to access the parliamentary timetable, Order Paper, motions, Bills and other publications as soon as they are uploaded on the parliamentary website or sent to their mailboxes. The iPads come almost a year after the MPs got desktop computers for office use. PSC Secretary Jeremiah Nyegenye, who advertised for the tender, told The Standard on Sunday the iPads will help the House save on the use of paper and consequently save money.

With this initiative, members of the Kenyan Parliament and Senators will be able to access documents digitally, without having to print volumes of schedules, notices and bills. The Kenyan government will pay from $640 to $815 for an iPad, with the total investment being around $350,000. Thus, Kenya becomes the second country in East Africa to acquire tablets for its lawmakers after Uganda did the same for its 375 MPs in 2013. We can't help but wonder when will this happen in more developed countries from Western Europe or North America.

Source: Standard Digital News