7 out of 10 people in North Eastern have internet access, second only to Nairobi
Michael Charo, a resident of Lamu's Mkomani area browses news using his smartphone. 70 per cent of the North Eastern populace has access to the Internet.
What you need to know:
- About 70 per cent of the North Eastern populace has access to the Internet.
- In Eastern and South Nyanza, in less than 45 per cent have access to the Internet.
- The North Eastern region is the second-most connected, trailing only Nairobi, despite being home to the poorest populations.
The Internet is proving to be an important resource in the north-eastern parts of Kenya as access rate in the marginalised region now beats more developed and the relatively richer Central and Lake regions.
About 70 per cent of the North Eastern populace has access to the Internet, mostly through mobile phones, while barely half of the residents in most regions in the country are connected, latest statistics by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) shows.
The North Eastern region is the second-most connected, trailing only Nairobi, despite being home to the poorest populations and having the least economic output nationally.
The CA did not give reasons for the region’s high Internet uptake, but some experts associate this to the need to stay connected for cash transfers and other aid related information.
The total number of Kenyans accessing the Internet improved marginally from 57 per cent in the quarter to September last year, to 58 per cent in the three months to December, but North Eastern’s rose 6 per cent, crossing the 70 per cent mark that’s only been achieved in Nairobi.
It beats the 62 per cent in the north-western and Rift Valley regions, 57 per cent in Western and Central regions, 53 per cent in Coast and Lake regions, and Eastern and South Nyanza, in which less than 45 per cent have access to the Internet.
North Eastern counties having some of the highest poverty rates in the country, with latest estimates by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics showing that at least 65 per cent of residents in Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, and Mandera live in absolute poverty.
The South Nyanza counties—Kisii, Nyamira, Migori and Homa Bay—which have the lowest access rate, have among the lowest poverty rates, with Homa Bay, for instance, having just 27 per cent of its population living in absolute poverty.
According to CA, Internet access is generally higher in urban areas. Last year, about 76 per cent of urban dwellers could access the Internet while for rural areas it was 49 per cent.
“The increased prevalence of Internet access in Kenyan urban areas can be attributed to well-established infrastructure,” CA said in its Audience Measurement and Industry Trends report.
