H.E. Mr Samuel Lesuron POGHISIO, M.P. Minister of Information and Communications Mr. Chairman, the Government of Kenya has identi-fied the development of ICTs as one of the key pil-lars of our development focus called Vision 2030. As such, the Government has continued to encourage increased investment in this sector by removing all barriers to open market. In the recent past, we have enacted legislations that give particular incentives to investors in this field. Last year, the Government enacted legislation that facilitated convergence of our ICT market to conform to the realities prevailing the world over. This move further removed regulatory obstacles that had been slowing down the growth in the industry. We now have a market marked by vibrant competition. This attractive market now boasts of four mobile phone operators with a combined subscription base of just over 20 million, representing a penetration rate of 51.2 per cent. The mobile signal covers 85 per cent of the population and 34 per cent of the land mass. Besides wider access, the consumer in Kenya is also enjoying lower connection charges due to in-creased competition in the market. In addition, we Thank you Mr. Chairman for the honour of al-lowing are now in the process of implementing the Mobile Service Provider Number Portability. This step is ex-pected to further bolster the level of competition me to greet the distinguished delegates in the mobile telecommunications market and en-hance and participants at this eighteenth Plenipotentiary Conference of the ITU. Let me also take this oppor-tunity consumer choice. Kenyans will effectively start porting their numbers by the end of the year. to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, for your In realization of the importance of upgrading our networks to broadband, Kenya has in the past three years seen the construction of three undersea op-tic able stewardship of this conference so far. On be-half of my delegation and on my own behalf I wish to register our compliments to the Government and people of the United States of Mexico for the exem-plary fibre cables connecting the country to the rest of the world. The latest of these cables was inaugu-rated hospitality extended to us since our arrival in earlier in the year by Dr. Hamadoun Toure, the this beautiful city of Guadalajara. I also thank the Mexican Government for a very sumptuous and en-tertaining Secretary General of ITU. The broadband connectiv-ity in not only enhancing productivity in the private reception last night. 106