Kenya’s Global ICT ranking goes six positions up

Kenya has moved six positions up in this year’s ICT Network Readiness Index revealed at this year’s World Economic Forum in Cape Town.

Last year, Kenya held the 92nd position and moved up to the 85th position, coming in as the fifth country in Africa after South Africa at position, 75, Morocco at 78, Tunisia at 81 and Rwanda at position 83 globally.

The report showed that big economies in Africa like South Africa and Nigeria fell in rankings and only Kenya showed yearly improvement. For instance South Africa fell from 70 to 75th position this year and Nigeria lost ground to be 119th position from 112 achieved previously.

Kenya’s growth has been attributed to the developments that have been witnessed in the country’s ICT sector.

“In 2013, among the 25 low-income countries studied, five had a penetration rate above 10% and only one—Kenya—had a rate exceeding 20%. Kenya liberalised its telecommunications sector in the late 1990s and created the Kenya Internet Exchange Point in 2002,” the report said.

Found under The Global Information Technology Report 2015, the report showcases solutions to allow everyone benefit from and participate in the ICT revolution and to contribute to a more prosperous and inclusive world. This year the report was under the theme “ICTs for Inclusive Growth”.

“The impact of ICTs extends well beyond productivity gains. ICTs are vectors of economic and social transformation. By improving access to services, enhancing connectivity, creating business and employment opportunities, and changing the ways people communicate, interact, and engage among themselves and with their governments, ICTs can transform our world,” the report read.

The report also stated that many sub-Saharan African countries have fully liberalized their ICT markets adding that countries including Kenya and Tanzania were already reaping the benefits of liberalization in the form of increased private investments and use and the introduction of new business models and services.

The Networked Readiness Index (NRI) as well reveals that the almost perfect correlation between a country’s level of ICT uptake and the economic and social impacts ICTs have on its economy and society.