BONDO: French Ambassador to Kenya, Arnaud Suquet, has announced that his government will explore ways to support the Siaya Community Digital Hub in line with France’s broader initiative of promoting ICT hubs in Kenya.

Speaking during a tour of the hub in Bondo, Ambassador Suquet highlighted Kenya’s vibrant creative space and affirmed France’s willingness to support the growth of the creative economy so that talented individuals can earn a living from their skills.

The Siaya Community Digital Hub has been training young people in digital skills such as artificial intelligence, with the first cohort of 200 creatives specializing in filmmaking graduating in May, 2025.

Suquet, accompanied by the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, Fikirini Jacobs, emphasized that France shares a long-standing and historic friendship with the Luo Nyanza region.

This relationship was recently strengthened with the reopening of Kisumu’s Alliance Française to facilitate the learning of the French language.

He also revealed that the French Embassy in Kenya is already supporting a girls’ school in the region to teach French.

Due to the high demand for learning the language, the French government will consider supporting additional schools in Siaya County to expand access to French education.

On his part, PS Fikirini disclosed that the Department of Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy has developed the Creative Economy Bill, which aims to regulate the creative industry, address its management, and introduce incentives to attract funding that will catalyze the sector’s growth.

“We have already drafted a bill for the creative industry and are now preparing for stakeholder engagement to ensure that the final version is inclusive and meets the needs of industry players,” Fikirini said.

“During my interview for the PS position, I promised to always take bills to stakeholders instead of confining discussions to boardrooms. This approach enhances acceptance and ownership by stakeholders.”

Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, founder of the Siaya Community Digital Hub, shared that the idea to establish a hub that not only trains youth but also provides online job opportunities was conceived 15 years ago during a visit to India.

While the Indian model was based in an urban setup, he chose to establish a similar hub in a rural area to give youth in Siaya the chance to learn digital skills and work for international companies.

Oburu also announced that the Siaya Community Digital Hub will be opening a new branch in Gem Constituency later this month to benefit young people from the northern part of Siaya County.