from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYA is investing more than Sh10 billion (US$77,5 million) in rolling out fibre to connect thousands of institutions and information and communications technology (ICT) across the country.
The Communications Authority (CA) Kenya is making the investment, in partnership with other agencies in the sector and an energy parastatal.
Lydia Sitienei, Director, Legal Services and Corporation Secretary for CA Kenya disclosed the figures at the launch of the Kenya Digitisation Report by Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) in the capital Nairobi.
“We are involved in several major strategic initiatives in supporting the government digital transformation agenda,” she told delegates.
She revealed that there were 38,4 million broadband subscriptions in the east African nation compared to 1,5 million fixed data subscribers.
The official said among other initiatives, CA is currently funding the deployment of 2 500km of fibre optic cable across 19 counties, at a cost of Sh5 billion ($38,57 million), as part of the government’s Digital Superhighway programme.
“This is in partnership with the ICT Authority, which has rolled out 1 300km of fibre,” Sitienei said.
In the second phase of the project, again in partnership with the ICT Authority and Kenya Power, the Kenya Communications Authority aims to deliver last-mile fibre connectivity to 3 800 institutions across the country, at a cost of Sh3 billion (about $23,25 million).
In partnership with Konza Technopolis Development Authority, CA Kenya is financing the rollout of 47 centres of excellence across all Kenya’s 47 counties and 1 450 ICT hubs across every ward in the country, at a cost of Sh2,8 billion ($21,7 million).
These are all part of the government’s Digital Superhighway Digital programme, which plans to lay 100 000 kilometres of fibre optic cable.
In a related development, Sitienei disclosed that at the end of June 2024, Kenya had 69 million mobile subscribers, translating to a mobile penetration rate of 133 percent.
The mobile money subscriptions had a penetration rate of 77,3 percent.
– CAJ News