The Kenyan government on Tuesday revealed ambitious targets for its ICT sector in the coming years, while reports emerged that the country will see its first 4G network rollout next year.

The country aims to increase the ICT industry's contribution to GDP to as much as 10% by 2017 from 2.9% at present, Kenya's ICT minister Fred Matiangi revealed in an announcement on the ministry's Website on Tuesday. He also said that the government aims to raise Internet penetration to 60% from 47.1% today.

The rollout of fourth-generation mobile services will play an important role in achieving those targets.

Reuters spoke to the minister this week and learnt that Kenya plans to start building out a 4G network next year and is looking to hold talks with operators to ascertain the best rollout model.

According to the newswire, the government has proposed rolling out a network via a public-private partnership and then selling wholesale capacity to mobile operators, in order to ensure equal access to spectrum. The operator community would prefer to see spectrum auctioned off to the existing players though.

Some of Kenya's mobile operators are having a tough time in the current climate.

France's Orange announced last month that it may exit the Kenyan market following a strategic review of its operations there.

Meanwhile, yuMobile, owned by India's Essar, hopes to wind up its operations in the country and sell its assets to market leaders Safaricom and Airtel. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) recently said it would approve the deal, provided the companies meet certain conditions mostly centred on minimising disruption for subscribers.