Kenya Among 11 Nations In EU $118M Broadband Push

Kenya is among 11 countries set to benefit from $16.5 million (€15 million) that the European Union (EU) has committed to the Africa Broadband Mapping Systems (Africa-BB-Maps) project.

The country will also benefit from the EU’s plan to expand the subsea blue cable project from Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

European Union Ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger, made the announcement during the launch of Africa-BB-Maps in Nairobi. She revealed that the EU is mobilising about $330 million (€300 million) towards the initiative, targeting several African countries, including Kenya.

“The EU private sector is mobilising $330 million in this initiative. In Kenya, the EU is connecting 1,000 primary schools with broadband,” she said. “The $16.5 million to be invested in Africa Broadband Mapping Systems will benefit 11 countries, including Kenya.”

The Africa-BB-Maps project (2025–2028) is a four-year project implemented by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and funded by the European Union (EU), aimed at establishing or strengthening harmonised national broadband mapping systems in 11 Sub-Saharan national regulatory authorities (NRAs). Other beneficiary countries include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

These NRAs will use the new broadband mapping systems to map broadband infrastructure and service coverage to identify connectivity gaps, thereby enabling data-driven policies and investment decisions.

The launch in Nairobi marks the start of Kenya’s operational rollout of the Africa-BB-Maps initiative.

David Mugonyi, Communications Authority of Kenya Director General said broadband remains central to the country’s economic growth. He noted that only 47.5 percent of Kenyan households have access to the Internet, with the number dropping to 26 percent in rural areas.

He stated: “There is a need to eliminate this digital divide and facilitate the 164 sublocations which lack 3G and 4G Internet to get connected.”