The World Bank has approved a first-phase financing of $390 million to the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project, aimed at bridging the digital divide in Kenya by expanding access to high-speed internet, enhancing the quality of education and selected government services and building skills for the digital economy. This project will run in two phases with the first from 2023 to 2028 and the second from 2026 to 2030, using a Multi-phase Programmatic Approach (MPA).
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The Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project is focused on increasing digital skills and connectivity to expand the digital marketplace and make Kenya’s growth more equitable. The World Bank Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda, Keith Hansen, believes that expanding access to digital technologies and services is a pathway to accelerate economic growth and job creation, improve service delivery and build resilience.
This initiative aims to expand broadband network coverage for more than 70% of Kenya’s rural and underserved populations to increase last-mile connectivity. Kenya’s digital agenda aims to transform the country into a regional ICT hub by increasing fiber optic coverage to 100,000 km and digitizing 80% of public services.
