Nairobi Leads the Charge in a Digitally Advancing Continent

NAIROBI, KENYA – As of early 2025, Kenya has affirmed its status as one of Africa's most connected nations, according to multiple data sources, including the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and global digital insights firm DataReportal. The country's internet penetration and usage rates place it among the top performers on the continent, a distinction that brings both immense opportunities for its burgeoning digital economy and significant challenges, particularly in cybersecurity.

Bonface Asiligwa, President of the ISACA Kenya Chapter, highlighted this ranking during the annual Governors, Risk and Compliance (GRC) conference in Naivasha on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. He attributed Kenya's high connectivity to a tech-savvy youth population and a widespread shift to digital platforms for business and personal use. However, Asiligwa cautioned that this digital leadership has been accompanied by a surge in cyber-attacks targeting both governmental and private sector entities.

The Numbers Behind the Ranking

Several key metrics underscore Kenya's digital prowess. According to a January 2025 report by DataReportal, there were 27.4 million internet users in Kenya, translating to an internet penetration rate of 48.0%. The number of cellular mobile connections was even more striking, reaching 68.8 million, which is equivalent to 121% of the total population, indicating a high prevalence of multi-SIM usage. Of these mobile connections, an impressive 94.7% were classified as “broadband” (3G, 4G, or 5G).

The Communications Authority of Kenya's (CA) sector statistics provide further evidence of this growth. A report covering the third quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year (January to March 2025) showed that active mobile SIM subscriptions reached 76.16 million, pushing the mobile penetration rate to 145.3%. Mobile data subscriptions stood at 57.18 million during the same period. More recent data from the CA, released in October 2025 for the quarter ending June 2025, indicated 58.5 million total data subscriptions. This data highlights a clear trend of increasing connectivity, primarily driven by mobile broadband.

Internet speeds have also seen significant improvement. Ookla's data from early 2025 shows the median mobile internet download speed in Kenya was 29.97 Mbps, a 37.6% increase year-on-year. Fixed internet download speeds also climbed by 48.7% to 14.54 Mbps.

Regional and Continental Context

While Kenya's 48% internet penetration rate is a significant achievement, it is part of a broader, albeit uneven, digital transformation across Africa. For comparison, the average internet penetration in Africa was approximately 50% as of March 2025. However, East Africa as a region has the lowest internet penetration rate globally at 23.5%. This makes Kenya's performance a notable outlier in its immediate vicinity. In early 2025, Uganda's internet penetration was around 28%. Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, leads in the absolute number of internet users with 107 million, followed by Egypt with 96.3 million. Kenya's 27.4 million users place it among the top digital markets on the continent.

Fueling the Digital Economy and Facing the Risks

The high connectivity is a cornerstone of Kenya's digital economy. The government, with support from partners like the World Bank, is actively pursuing initiatives like the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP). This project aims to expand high-speed internet access, digitize government services, and equip Kenyans with digital skills. The World Bank approved a $390 million financing package for the first phase of this project in April 2023.

However, as Asiligwa emphasized, this rapid digitalization creates vulnerabilities. The increase in online activity provides a larger attack surface for cybercriminals. In his remarks, he supported the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act as a necessary framework to mitigate these risks without stifling innovation. He called for strategic government structures and upskilling programs to build a resilient cybersecurity posture for the nation.

The continued expansion of 4G and the rollout of 5G networks, which now cover 30% of the population, are expected to further drive data consumption and digital service adoption. As Kenya continues to lead and innovate in the digital space, the dual focus on expanding access and bolstering security will be critical to sustaining its growth and ensuring a safe and inclusive digital future for all its citizens.