Dr Katherine Getao

Dr. Katherine W. Getao, EBS, is often dubbed an “ICT Elder” in Kenya, in recognition of her 40 years of service in the private sector, academia, diplomacy as well as senior government appointments. Dr. Getao currently executes consultancy assignments in the areas of Cyber Hygiene, Cyber Diplomacy and ICT Strategy and Governance. She has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the ICT Authority in Kenya, the ICT Secretary in the Office of the President and subsequently at the Ministry of ICT. During her time in government, she led the design of the Huduma Centre one-stop shops for government services as well as the integrated implementation of optical fibre in collaboration with the Roads sector. Between 2014 and 2021, Dr. Getao served as the Kenyan expert during three groups of United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (UNGGE) on International Security in the Context of ICTs. Prior to joining Government Dr. Getao held various positions including Project Manager of the e-Schools Project as well as theNEPAD  Director of the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Nairobi. She has also served on the boards of private companies and universities. Dr. Getao is passionate about public service transformation using ICTs and the creation of industries and career opportunities for young people in the ICT Sector. Dr. Getao serves on a high-level global think tank, the Aspen Global Group, and also as a regional adviser to the Diplo Foundation.