Bungoma County will henceforth enjoy wireless internet connection courtesy of telecommunications company Orange in its strategic plan to spread its data solutions offering into the counties and supporting its mandate to provide broadband access for all citizens.

Now in its first phase, the connection reach covers the county headquarters in Bungoma and the town with plans underway to launch the second phase expected to cover entire sub-counties and adjacent areas.

The solution will also aid in opening up opportunities for business in these areas, as well as support the county governments to improve on their service offering through integrated ICT solutions.  “We are committed to ensuring that most of our county residents enjoy free Internet in partnership with Telkom Kenya. We will cascade to the wards and introduce the hotspots after we are through with the sub-counties,” says Kenneth Lusaka, the Bungoma County Governor.

The roll-out of Wi-Fi in Bungoma comes not long after Nakuru county’s Wi-Fi ksh200 million project flop awaiting clarifications on how the funds were spent by the county government. The Wi-Fi project was initiated in April 2014 by INFONET, a Kenyan based innovations group working towards improving interactions between governments, the civil society and citizens through ICT.

Orange has therefore come out to clarify on its connection with the Nakuru county Wi-Fi project saying INFONET denied their technical team to access their equipment even after establishing connection link. Orange has also put it clear that the link it provided was never utilized neither was any payment made to Orange in relation to the Wi-Fi project.