Why Kenya’s digital economy dream is at risk

While mobile and internet access have improved since 2019, entrenched regional, social, and age-based disparities threaten Kenya’s aspiration to become a digital-first economy.

The report finds that 53.7 per cent of Kenyans aged three and above now own a mobile phone, up from 47.3 per cent in 2019. Urban ownership stands at 64.6 per cent, outweighing rural’s 48.6 per cent. Gender disparity is minimal: 54.5 per cent of men versus 52.9 per cent of women.

Yet 11.3 per cent of people use a mobile they don’t own—more commonly women (11.5 per cent) and urban dwellers (11.8 per cent).

Internet usage has climbed to 35.0 per cent nationally from just 22.7 per cent in 2019.

Youth aged 18–34 lead adoption: while over 80 per cent own phones, only 58.6 per cent are online.

County-level gaps are vast: Nairobi leads with 64.7 per cent, Kiambu with 54.0 per cent, and Nyeri with 50.1 per cent, while West Pokot lags behind at just 9.1 per cent, Turkana is at 12.7 per cent, and Garissa at 16.5 per cent. Usage peaks among those aged 25–34 at 59.3 per cent, and 15–24-year-olds at 46.6 per cent—a reversal of global patterns where younger cohorts dominate digital spaces.

Only 11.6 per cent of individuals use a computer—over 20 per cent in urban areas, versus 7 per cent in rural ones. This limits capacity for higher-order digital skills like coding, design, and data analysis.

Household computer ownership sits at just 8.8 per cent, and fixed internet is available in only 7.0 per cent of homes nationwide—17.3 per cent in urban areas but just 0.6 per cent in rural ones.

Rural areas suffer from poor mobile and fixed internet coverage, with broadband access in less than one per cent of rural households.

Even where networks exist, high data costs remain a deterrent, especially in low-income areas. Elderly populations, people with disabilities, and those with limited schooling are disproportionately offline.

Among persons with disabilities, visually impaired individuals report higher computer usage at 16.9 per cent, while those with cognitive challenges record just 0.9 per cent.

The generational divide presents an unexpected paradox. Millennials aged 25–34 have higher internet use at 59.3 per cent than Gen Z’s 46.6 per cent, suggesting income stability, established digital routines, or professional needs drive connectivity more than youth alone.

The gender gap, while narrower, remains significant in rural areas where women face economic, cultural, and logistical barriers to ICT access.

The data points to urgent and targeted interventions. Broadband roll-out must accelerate, especially through the Universal Service Fund, alongside rural electrification to ensure reliable device use.

Regulatory reforms are needed to lower data prices, while shared-device models should be formalised through community ICT hubs to expand equitable access.

Digital literacy must be integrated into both school curricula and adult education programmes, with specific training for women, older adults, and persons with disabilities.

Counties with high adoption such as Nairobi, Kiambu, and Nyeri should shift focus from access to skills, fostering innovation ecosystems through coding boot camps, tech incubators, and entrepreneurship initiatives.

Low-adoption counties such as West Pokot, Turkana, and Garissa need infrastructure roll-out, affordable device financing, and development of culturally relevant, local-language content to stimulate demand.

The survey makes it clear that Kenya’s mobile and internet revolution is underway but remains uneven. Mobile ownership is no longer the measure of progress—meaningful connectivity is.

Without deliberate, data-driven action, the country risks consolidating a connected elite while leaving the rural poor, women, and marginalized communities disconnected.

The Writer is a leading AI Researcher, Technology Policy Strategist and a Digital Empowerment Ecosystem Builder

Kenya’s digital transformation must ensure that access translates into opportunity.

Every citizen should have the tools to move from passive consumption to active participation in the digital economy.

The country’s economic future will not be secured by more smart phones alone, but by ensuring those devices are gateways to education, enterprise, and civic engagement for all.

If Kenya meets the Communications Authority’s Digital Master-plan 2022-2032 target of connecting 80 percent of the population to broadband by 2030, the country could unlock an estimated Sh1.4 trillion in additional GDP.

The challenge—and the opportunity—is to ensure that those connections reach everyone, everywhere, and serve as true enablers of equity and growth.

The digital divide is no longer a background statistic—it is a national development test.

The Writer is a leading AI Researcher, Technology Policy Strategist and a Digital Empowerment Ecosystem Builder