Kenya plans to expand its fibre-optic network by a further 44,000 kilometres, as the government seeks to improve internet access and connect public institutions, according to Techweez.
The plan has two parts. A 17,000km government-led project would target public institutions such as schools, health facilities and government offices. A further 27,000km of backbone, middle-mile and cross-border infrastructure is expected to receive support through Sh13 billion in government investment in private-sector development, which Techweez calculates at about Sh481,000 per kilometre. Both sit within the Digital Superhighway programme, which targets 100,000km of national fibre.
Techweez says the size of the jump depends on the baseline. The National Broadband Strategy 2025-2030 puts Kenya's current fibre at 40,000km, so 44,000km of new fibre would take the network to about 84,000km, roughly 16,000km short of the target. The 2022 Digital Master Plan reported more than 8,900km, a lower figure. Techweez cautions that this is an estimate, because the baselines cover different periods and the plans may overlap with fibre already counted.
Techweez cites figures showing 64.3 million mobile data subscriptions by June 2026, up about 9.7% from a year earlier. It puts 4G coverage at roughly 97-98% of the population and 5G at about 30%, and says fibre connections stand at about 1.57 million, a small base that shows why backbone expansion does not automatically put a connection in every household.
At a forum at the Kenya Medical Training College in Iten, ICT Principal Secretary John Tanui encouraged young people to treat content creation as a career, Techweez reported.
Source: Techweez