Kenya’s government is set to begin constructing 100,000km of fiber-optic cable throughout the country as part of a nationwide project to broaden internet connectivity in Kenya. Their approach implements a unique blend of private- and public-sector construction that has caught the eye of many experts in the field.

Internet Access in Kenya

According to the World Bank, less than a third of Kenyans had internet access in 2021. The largest data service provider in Kenya, Safaricom, still remains largely inactive in most rural areas. Internet connectivity in Kenya is strongest in Nairobi.  
 

To address Kenya’s internet deficiency, the government has begun Phase 1 of the multi-phase Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project, a plan to broaden internet connectivity in Kenya. From this year to 2028, 100,000km of fiber-optic cable will be built across all 1450 wards in the country, targeting areas outside major cities. Furthermore, this cable network will be connected to 25,000 public “Digital Village Smart Hubs,” ensuring more citizens living in rural communities can access internet services. 

Rather than working alongside the private sector in a joint national venture The ITC, Kenya’s Ministry of Technology and Communication, has commissioned private-sector companies like Safaricom to construct about half of the cable network itself, while the government oversees construction of the remaining 50%. Though structurally complex, experts believe this approach could speed up construction, lower costs and create over 1.5 million jobs. Additionally, the fiber-optic cable uses quartz fiber, which is lightweight, resilient and loses 100 million times less transmit power than traditional cables. 

Safaricom has already completed 27% of its share of the construction. Moreover, the World Bank has committed nearly $400 million of the $600 million needed to complete the network. 

All Africa Digital Economy Moonshot (Bigger Plans for Africa)

A broader conduit for funding is the joint All Africa Digital Economy Moonshot of the World Bank and African Union. This is a broad goal of bringing Africa online, as well as a digital overhaul of African financial and public services by 2030. 

Phase 2 of the KDEAP will run from 2026–2030 and involve building the infrastructure and digital environments to digitize government services. By 2030, the Kenyan government should be able to offer e-services like 3-minute digital credit lines and digitized fingerprint/photo records of citizens, enabling secure, speedy access to thousands of planned public services. 

Economic Benefits

About a quarter of Kenya’s population currently lives in extreme poverty. Increasing internet connectivity in Kenya could reduce poverty by improving education and expanding job opportunities. Furthermore, many African leaders note that there is a strong desire amongst African countries to strengthen trade between each other, not just internationally. However, the lack of digital payment systems, credit lines, speedy internet connection and other information technologies has hampered efforts to build trade networks on the continent. Hopefully, as more countries are brought online this decade, they will be able to reap the economic benefits of improved trade and production.

The push for greater internet connectivity in Kenya looks to be going well. Hopefully, the government and its private-sector partners will continue to be successful in the future.

– Finneas Sensiba
Photo: Pixabay