A four-day discovery programme to redesign ca.go.ke — informed by stakeholder workshops across every CA department, site audit, and benchmarking against Ofcom and NCA Ghana.
Original six-day schedule compressed to four working days. Portal UI mockups and visual design deferred to prototype phase (weeks 3–4). This week is requirements gathering and architecture only.
| Day | Focus | Key activities | Outputs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 MON | CA Website Discovery | Stakeholder requirements, communication flow mapping, redesign objectives, IA v0.1, content model | Requirements baseline, IA draft, Content model | Complete |
| Day 2 TUE | Media Centre + Backend | AM: Media Centre homepage, taxonomy, templates, metadata. PM: Roles, permissions, embargo, approval workflow | UX templates, Metadata schema, Taxonomy map, Functional spec, Workflow diagrams | Complete |
| Day 3 WED | Assets, Repository & Automation | Photo/video repository, upload workflows, naming conventions, email alerts, RSS feeds, emergency alerts, automation | Repository blueprint, Asset framework, Automation workflows, RSS model | Complete |
| Day 4 THU | Integration & Consolidation | LMS integration, API specs, user journeys, analytics, chatbot requirements, content strategy, final sign-off | Integration spec, API requirements, User journeys, Final requirements | In progress |
Full stakeholder requirements analysis across Licensing, Broadcasting, Cybersecurity, Consumer Affairs, Procurement, Spectrum, Universal Access, Communications, and ICT. What we heard shaped everything that follows.
Recurring themes from every department. These directly drove the architectural decisions.
The current website is difficult to navigate. Customers consistently report in surveys that it's problematic — they prefer social media for information. Staff are receiving constant calls because stakeholders cannot find basic information like application forms.— Stakeholder workshop, Day 1
We are the number one ICT regulator in Africa by ITU ranking, but that status is not reflected in our website usability and professional presentation.— Senior management
The current tone is overly bureaucratic and elitist, alienating many users. We need simple, non-technical language accessible to both individuals and companies.— Communications & consumer affairs teams
Department champions discovered forms dating back to 1972 still live on the site. No systematic content review exists.
Most users access via mobile, but the site is bulky and unfriendly. Sidebar and menu clutter blocks important content. Search results on mobile lack relevance and filtering.
The numbering management system has no SSL certificate, showing "insecure website" warnings that undermine regulatory credibility.
KE-CIRT/CC and NPKI functions hidden on a subdomain. Cybersecurity team flagged architectural loopholes making the site vulnerable to attacks.
Main menu has too many headings and submenus. Limit homepage to top 4–5 functions. Replace generic banners with relevant images showing CA's core work. Call-to-action buttons after hero section.
147 tenders planned for election year. Individual uploads are inefficient. 10:30 AM closing time hardcoded. Section should be renamed from "Tenders" to "Procurement" — benchmark against ERA's supplier portal.
Five regional offices have no website presence. Users don't know which office serves their county. Need location-based routing — user inputs location, system directs to nearest office.
Communications team led by Jeff will simplify language. Focus on what Kenyan consumers expect: enforcement and consumer protection. Migrate staff articles, add image captions, enable LinkedIn sharing.
WordPress chosen for its 80%+ market share, mobile responsiveness, and role-based access. Two-factor authentication via Microsoft 365 SSO. Department champions model with ICT approval gate.
All pages must load within 3 seconds on low-bandwidth connections. Image compression without quality loss. Lightweight infrastructure to support future AI chatbot responsiveness.
GA4 for traffic insights by region, device, browser. Cloudflare for CDN and DDoS protection. Geographic heat maps to track county-level engagement and inform content priorities.
Stakeholders want ML-trained chatbot for navigation and complaint escalation with keyword triggers. Requires ongoing training on CA-specific content. Deferred to post-launch roadmap.
Telecom operators, broadcasters, ISPs, device importers, courier companies. They come to transact.
Mobile subscribers, broadband users, fraud victims. They come to resolve a problem or check something.
Journalists, academics, policy analysts, investors. They come to extract data and information.
Cut calls and emails. The site must answer before anyone picks up the phone.
Right licence, fee, form — without contacting the department. Link to LMS.
IMEI, complaints, fraud reporting reachable in one click from anywhere.
Africa's top ICT regulator deserves a site that reflects it.
Searchable libraries. Page-specific filters. Tabular results with metadata.
Centralised press hub. Media accreditation. Election-ready.
Every page under 3 seconds on 3G. Menu clutter eliminated on mobile.
Drop the bureaucratic tone. Plain English. Accessible to individuals and companies.
Audience-first structure. Every stakeholder request tagged. Click to expand.
Morning: Media Centre architecture. Afternoon: CMS roles, permissions, embargo, and approval workflow for WordPress.
Search-first hero, filter chips, featured item slot, and a journalist sidebar. Designed to handle election-period influxes. Consultations displayed in tabbed format (open/closed/findings) on one page per stakeholder request.
News, press releases, speeches, events and consultations from the Communications Authority of Kenya.
Revised minimum QoS thresholds gazetted for all licensed mobile network operators from Q3 2026.
Dublin Core-aligned, extended for regulation. Implemented via WordPress ACF/Pods. Controlled vocabularies defined in the taxonomy map below.
| Field | Type | Description | Coverage | Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core identification | ||||
| Title | text | Official title | ALL | |
| Content ID | string | e.g. PR-2026-042 | ALL | |
| Content type | enum | Press release | News | Speech | Consultation | Event | Notice | ALL | |
| Summary | text | Max 200 chars for listings/alerts | ALL | |
| Dates & lifecycle | ||||
| Published | datetime | ISO 8601 | ALL | |
| Embargo | datetime | Hidden until this datetime | PRESS/NOTICES | |
| Modified | datetime | Auto-set on save | ALL | Auto |
| Expiry | date | Auto-archive (events: 30 days) | EVENTS | |
| Event start / end | datetime | Event dates | EVENTS | |
| Consultation close | datetime | Auto-updates status | CONSULT | |
| Classification | ||||
| Sector | enum[] | Telecoms | Broadcasting | Postal | Spectrum | Cyber | UA | ALL | |
| Regulatory area | enum[] | Licensing | Compliance | Consumer | Policy | Numbering | ALL | |
| Audience | enum[] | Operators | Consumers | Media | Researchers | Govt | ALL | |
| Keywords | text[] | Free-form (max 10) for search | ALL | |
| Geo scope | enum | National | Regional | International | CONSULT/EVENTS | |
| Authorship & status | ||||
| Dept | enum | Origin department. Drives workflow. | ALL | |
| Author / Approver | user | Auto-set at each step | ALL | Auto |
| Speaker | text | Name and title | SPEECHES | |
| Media contact | text | Name, email, phone | PRESS | |
| Attachments | file[] | Max 5, 25MB each | ALL | |
| Image + alt text | image | 1200×630px. Alt + caption required. | NEWS/EVENTS | |
| Status | enum | Draft | Pending | Approved | Scheduled | Published | Archived | ALL | Auto |
| Legal clearance | bool | Required for enforcement notices | NOTICES | |
| Language | enum | English | Swahili | Both | ALL | |
| Retention | enum | 1yr | 5yr | 10yr | Permanent | ALL | |
WordPress custom taxonomies. New terms reviewed quarterly by ICT/webmaster.
Primary industry
Function
Classification
Intended readers
Coverage area
Content owner
Six roles. M365 SSO with 2FA. No content goes live without ICT vetting.
Creates and edits content. Cannot publish.
HOD/director. Reviews and signs off.
Tone, brand, and editorial quality.
Final gate. Publishes or schedules.
ICT lead. Full access.
Required for enforcement content.
Mirrors existing internal flows to minimise change management friction. Email notifications at every step. 48-hour escalation on pending items.
Champion creates
HOD approves
Editorial check
If enforcement
Final → live
Morning: digital asset management — repository architecture, upload workflows, file naming conventions. Afternoon: automation rules, subscriber alert system, RSS feeds, and emergency notifications.
No centralised asset management exists today. Photos scattered, naming inconsistent, no metadata on files. Stakeholders flagged broken links and orphaned documents as constant pain points.
| Specification | Requirement | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Folder structure | /year/department/content-type/e.g. /2026/cybersecurity/press-releases/ | Three-level hierarchy prevents the current mess of undated, untagged files. |
| Naming convention | [YYYY-MM-DD]_[dept]_[type]_[slug].[ext]e.g. 2026-06-16_licensing_press-release_spectrum-auction.pdf | Enforced at upload via plugin. No spaces, no special chars, lowercase. Files sort chronologically and are identifiable without opening. |
| Image requirements | Auto-compress on upload (target: <200KB). Alt text mandatory. Captions required for news images. | Supports 3-second load target. Alt text for accessibility. Captions per Communications team request. |
| Video hosting | YouTube/Vimeo embed only — no self-hosting. | Reduces server load. Adaptive streaming for mobile on 3G. Supports load time target. |
| Document formats | PDF for publications. XLSX/CSV for data. No .doc files — convert to PDF before upload. | Consistent rendering across devices. Prevents formatting issues on mobile. |
| Storage & CDN | WordPress media on dedicated storage. Daily backups. Cloudflare CDN for static delivery. | Cloudflare already agreed for security. CDN ensures fast asset delivery across Kenya's regional offices. |
| Migration | Full content audit before migration. Only verified, current content migrates. Dead content archived, not carried over. | Eliminates the 1972-forms problem. Broken links and duplicates cleaned in audit. |
Champion uploads with metadata
Rename, compress, validate
Apply taxonomy from controlled list
Link to content item
Six automations addressing the top manual bottlenecks identified by stakeholders.
| # | Automation | Trigger | Action | Stakeholder driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Tender auto-close | Specified date + time reached | Status → "Closed". Custom closing time per tender. | 147 tenders/year. Hardcoded 10:30 AM eliminated. |
| 02 | Consultation status | Closing deadline reached | Status → "Closed". Findings upload → "Published". | Tabbed display per stakeholder request. |
| 03 | Contract publication | 10 days after award signing | Escalation email to procurement + ICT. | 14-day legal requirement (PPIDA 2015). |
| 04 | Event archive | 30 days after event date | Moves to "Past events". Materials still accessible. | Prevents stale event listings. |
| 05 | Content expiry scan | Quarterly automated check | Flags pages not updated in 6+ months. Email to champion. | Prevents the 1972-forms recurrence. |
| 06 | Sitemap regeneration | Any content add/update | XML sitemap rebuilt. Submitted to Google. | SEO improvement + future chatbot crawlability. |
Topic-based subscriptions — operators only get licensing alerts, journalists only get press releases. Not a blast to everyone.
Users subscribe to specific topics. WordPress plugin manages lists and sends formatted HTML emails when matching content publishes.
Separate feeds per type. URLs follow /feed/press-releases/ pattern. Media orgs subscribe in newsroom tools.
High-priority channel for spectrum interference, cyber incidents, emergency notices. Bypasses standard workflow — Comms editor + DG approval only. Pushes to all subscribers regardless of topic.
Auto-compiles top stories, upcoming events, open consultations, new publications. Template auto-populates from published content. Comms reviews before send. Shared on LinkedIn per stakeholder request.
Morning: system integrations, analytics, content strategy, and chatbot requirements. Afternoon: user journey mapping, consolidation, and sign-off for prototype development.
The website doesn't operate alone. Requirements gathered across all four days, consolidated here.
LMS handles applications. Website informs — process, eligibility, fees — then deep-links to LMS forms. Status tracking for applicants already in the system.
Real-time tender sync. CA site displays tenders and links to PPIP for bidding. Plans, notices, awards published on both platforms.
Sessions by region, device, browser. Document downloads, search queries. Geographic heat maps by county. Cloudflare for CDN + DDoS protection.
All CMS auth via Azure AD. Existing CA email credentials. 2FA enforced. No separate WordPress accounts. Auto role assignment from directory.
Twitter/X and Facebook feeds on homepage. LinkedIn sharing on all news and publications — per Communications request. YouTube embed for video gallery.
Child online protection, KE-CIRT, numbering portal must maintain CA branding. Seamless transitions. SSL across all subdomains. Backend coordination with ERP for procurement data exchange.
Stakeholders across departments agreed the website's tone, visual approach, and brand presentation need a fundamental shift. Communications team led by Jeff will drive implementation.
Current tone is "overly bureaucratic and elitist." Rewrite all content in plain English accessible to individuals and companies. Focus on what Kenyan consumers expect — enforcement and consumer protection. Comms team to review every page before migration.
Show the authority's core functions — spectrum monitoring, regional offices, stakeholder forums. Integrate newsletters, posters, and short educational videos. Add captions to all news images for context and storytelling.
Colours, fonts, and tone per brand manual. Microsites (child protection, KE-CIRT) must visually align with main site. Design should project a dynamic, fast-moving ICT regulator — not a 2010s government portal.
Combine vision, mission, "Who We Are" into single pages for better Google ranking. Clean broken links and duplicates. Automate sitemap generation. Reduce page depth so users find information directly from search engines.
Use GA4 data on most-accessed pages to shape call-to-actions. Track news popularity and update frequency. Geographic heat maps by county inform regional content priorities. Tag search bar clicks and document downloads for interaction depth.
Staff-written articles migrated to website with sharing buttons. Communications team facilitates LinkedIn distribution to increase organic traffic. News updates featured more visibly on homepage.
Stakeholders want an AI chatbot for navigation and complaint handling — but it requires ML training on CA content and is scoped post-launch. This escalation framework is designed now so the chatbot architecture is ready.
Search, FAQs, guided navigation
Context-sensitive answers from CA content
Licence issue, fraud, complaint → auto-escalate
Notification sent. Contact details provided.
Content delivery within 3 seconds even on low-bandwidth. Image compression without quality loss. Lightweight design critical for chatbot responsiveness and multi-user support. Must not degrade page performance.
Chatbot trained on CA-specific content — regulations, licensing procedures, consumer rights, FAQs. Requires organised site structure with full crawlability. Ongoing monitoring for accuracy and compliance. Automated sitemap supports this.
The three most common tasks, mapped end-to-end. Current vs proposed click counts. These become acceptance criteria for the prototype.
Licensing → Market Structure → Broadcasting. Fees on separate page. No link to application system. Users call the department instead.
Homepage → For Operators → Licence wizard → selects Broadcasting → shown: types, fees (KES 1,400 type approval), documents, payment instructions, direct LMS link.
IMEI under Consumer Protection (3 clicks). Complaint form is a separate path. No connection between the two actions. Users give up and call.
Quick action bar → IMEI Checker. Unregistered result → inline "Report this" prompt with pre-filled complaint form. Also via For Consumers → File Complaint from anywhere.
Press releases under Media Centre → News. No accreditation. No interview request. Contact details in footer only. No email alerts.
Media Centre → latest at top. Sidebar: accreditation, interview form, direct contacts. Subscribers get email alerts on publish. Login tracks interactions.
| Owner | Action | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Derek / Comms | Finalise website champion list. Coordinate first quarterly review. Provide brand manual and approved logo assets to DTA. | Within 2 weeks |
| DTA | Deliver interactive prototypes: homepage, Media Centre, licensing (with wizard), procurement, contact page (county finder). Schedule stakeholder review sessions. | 3–4 weeks |
| Cybersecurity | Security requirements document. Vulnerability assessment of current site. Penetration testing specs for new WordPress build. | Within 2 weeks |
| ICT / Hosting | Fix SSL on numbering system immediately. Resolve careers page hosting. Set up WordPress hosting. Configure Cloudflare + M365 SSO. | Immediate + ongoing |
| Procurement | Complete document listing for migration. 3-year plan archive. Confirm tender automation specs including batch upload requirements. | Within 2 weeks |
| Jeff / Comms | Content tone review. Simplify language across all migrating pages. Image caption standards. LinkedIn sharing strategy. | Ongoing through migration |
| All departments | Submit departmental requirements form. Conduct content audit (outdated, broken, duplicate). Nominate CMS champions for training. | By end of this week |