The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has approved six standards that will hasten the development of eco and socio-friendly ICT cities to offer high quality life for Kenyans.
“As Kenya continues to rapidly urbanize, we increasingly rely on technological solutions to create sustainable living patterns; manage resource consumption in water and energy, enhance smart infrastructure development, ease access to government service as well as tackle environmental challenges such as garbage disposal and recycling. The approved standards will facilitate the transformation of urban infrastructures into smart and sustainable infrastructures as envisioned in the country’s Vision 2030,” said Bernard Njiraini, Managing Director, KEBS.
Some of the issues addressed by the standards include real time data and informatics exchange, smart transportation and electric power infrastructures. These new standards are expected to ensure efficient urban operations and services and competitiveness, while responding to social, economic, environmental as well as cultural needs of present and future generations are met.
In Kenya, Tatu and Konza cities have been earmarked as smart cities. Additionally, reports by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) rank Nairobi as one of the most advanced smart cities in Africa with peers such as Cape Town.
Listed below is a summary of the approved standards for smart cities
- KS ISO 37155-1:2020 Framework for integration and operation of smart community infrastructures – Part 1: Recommendations for considering opportunities and challenges from interactions in smart community infrastructures and relevant aspects through the life cycle.
- KS ISO 37156:2020 Smart community infrastructures – Guidelines on data exchange and sharing for smart community infrastructures
- Interactions in smart community infrastructures from relevant aspects through the life cycle.