( CNN ) -- As Kenya celebrates 50 years of independence , many will be looking back on the events of the last half century , which saw country shake off British colonialism to carve its own identity . But it is also a time to look ahead to the next 50 years , and how technology can shape a new Kenya . Kenya 's 50th independence celebrations come at a moment of great economic promise for the continent . Much of the growth has been driven by export of raw materials , investment in infrastructure and expansion of trade in consumer goods . The challenge for the future , however , is building a technological foundation for economic transformation . Probably Kenya 's most important technological achievement was pioneering the world-first mobile money transfer system . The transformative innovation is part of a larger revolution in mobile banking . Read more : Tech cities and mega dams : Africa 's giant infrastructure projects . Kenya has contributed to the global mobile wallet market that is expanding exponentially . The market is projected to $ 5.25 billion in 2020 and will be driven by the rapid adoption of smartphones . In its vision to become a middle-income country by 2030 , Kenya has singled out scientific and technological advancement as a key driver for growth . Achieving this goal will require the country to do in other sectors what it has done for mobile money transfer and allied financial activities . The first step for Kenya is to consolidate the gains already made in mobile technology . There are already plans underway to promote innovation in mobile technology . But these efforts need high-level political commitment to define the country as a world leader in the extension of mobile technology to other sectors . The key to doing this is building new research universities whose curriculum and teaching are directly influenced by the evolution of the mobile industry . Kenya has recently created the Multimedia University , which was incubated by the ministry of telecommunications . But this university needs to be more directly integrated into the telecommunications sector with a clear focus on advancing all aspects of the mobile revolution . Read more : Africa 's super telescopes 'will inspire science boom ' Kenya can learn from other countries , such as South Korea , as it embarks on a technological path . In the early 1960s South Korea 's main exports included wigs and false teeth . Its success as an industrial nation is largely a result of investing in new research institutions and universities . Kenya needs to embark on a more ambitious technological initiative that can help to galvanize public attention and support the foundation for long-term economic development . One obvious next step for the country is geographic information science and technology . The Kenya Parliament has already passed a motion calling for the creation of a space sector for the country . Drafts of a policy , strategy and bill for creating the sector already exist . The benefits of such an initiative would be profound . It could generate vital data for planning and decision-making in a wide range of areas such as environmental management , business planning and security . It could also help stimulate the creation of new firms marketing technologies and services . Read more : Africa 's new high-tech cities . Data generated by the space program would be distributed through existing mobile networks and would add value to current investments such as the fiber-optic backbone . Such a program could help strengthen Kenya 's role as a regional technology hub . Such a space program could also help Kenya monitor climate change and support decisions on critical regional resources such as Lake Victoria . Developing a space sector is not just a vanity effort but a critical investment for national development . Advances in technology are dramatically lowering the cost of running such a program . In fact , several sub-Saharan African countries have space plans or programs , of which Nigeria is the most advanced . Read more : How African innovation can take on the world . A technological vision of Kenya 's future demands at least two critical activities . First , the country will need to significantly expand its engineering education . One way to do this is to upgrade engineering-based training institutes in line ministries into graduate training institutes or research universities . Second , the presidency will need to be supported on a regular basis by the best available science and technology advice . Such advice will need to be managed by an office of science and technology advice , directly answerable to the head of state . Kenya is at a critical juncture where it has no alternative but to find new pathways for technological leapfrogging . The alternative is falling behind as other players in the region start to invest in moving to new technological frontiers . At 50 , the country is overdue to reinvent itself using technological innovation as the engine of economic transformation . Follow Calestous Juma on Twitter @ calestous . The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Calestous Juma .
Kenya is celebrating 50 years of independence . Tech and innovation can drive country 's future , says Calestous Juma . The Kenyan government has launched a new initiative to encourage the development of technology in Kenya. A space program can aid national development , Juma argues .