Kenya’s CA Targets Digital Skills Training For 120,000 People

Kenya’s Communications Authority (CA) is targeting to equip 120,000 people across 19 counties with digital skills over the next three years as the country seeks to address gaps in digital literacy alongside expanding internet connectivity.

The programme is being implemented through the Authority’s Universal Service Fund (USF) under its Digital Skilling Project, with a focus on communities in areas that remain unserved or underserved by digital infrastructure.

The initiative recognises that expanding access to connectivity is only one part of closing Kenya’s digital divide. While more people are gaining access to internet services, a lack of digital skills can limit their ability to use those services effectively and take advantage of opportunities in the digital economy.

The CA said the programme is therefore intended to complement ongoing connectivity initiatives by helping people develop the skills needed to use digital technologies confidently, safely and sustainably.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ workshop on digital skilling, the Authority’s Director of Universal Service Fund, Eng. Dennis Chepkwony, emphasised the role of collaboration in implementing the programme and reaching communities where access to digital technologies remains limited.

The focus on skills also reflects a broader challenge facing Kenya’s digital transformation. Investments in broadband networks and other digital infrastructure can improve access, but their economic and social impact depends partly on whether people have the knowledge and confidence to use the services available to them.

The Digital Skilling Project forms part of Kenya’s wider efforts to expand digital capabilities under the Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022–2032. The national strategy places digital skills among the areas that need to be strengthened as the country expands the use of technology across government, businesses and communities.

For communities in underserved areas, digital literacy can influence how effectively people access online government services, education, employment opportunities, financial services and other digital platforms.

The CA’s approach consequently links two elements of digital inclusion: access to connectivity and the ability to use it. The three-year programme is expected to extend these skills to 120,000 people across the 19 targeted counties, with implementation relying on collaboration between the Authority and other stakeholders.

As Kenya continues to invest in nationwide connectivity, programmes such as the Digital Skilling Project point to the next challenge in the country’s digital transformation: ensuring that connectivity translates into meaningful participation in the digital economy rather than simply providing access to the internet.