A huge gap has emerged in the government’s plan to build a 100,000-kilometre fibre optic network, with only 37,000 kilometres completed as the country moves closer to the 2027 deadline.
ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said the government has so far installed 37 per cent of the planned network, leaving 63,000 kilometres yet to be covered.
"The governments target is to have 100,000 kilometres of fiber serving 53,000 government facilities across the country, including hospitals, administrative offices and so on. Already, we've laid down 37,000 kilometres, and it is still ongoing," he said in an interview with Inooro TV.
The fibre network is expected to serve 53,000 government facilities across the country, among them hospitals and administrative offices. The plan is also aimed at taking reliable internet services to areas outside the major towns and cities.
The slow pace of the rollout puts pressure on one of the key projects under President William Ruto’s digital plans, which were announced in 2022 with the aim of expanding broadband access across the country.
The President announced the 100,000-kilometre target in November 2022, saying the government would work together with telecommunications firms to extend connectivity to different parts of the country.
"The government is committed to investing in the digital superhighway and the creative economy, which will be enablers of transformation, productivity and overall competitiveness" said Ruto at the time.
"Over the next five years, the government will ensure universal broadband availability by hastening the roll-out of connectivity throughout the country
The laying of an additional 100,000 kilometres of the national fibreoptic network is expected to deliver this target."
The project forms part of the administration’s Digital Superhighway programme, which places fibre infrastructure at the centre of plans to expand digital jobs, e-commerce and government services offered online.
The network is also being rolled out in counties that have not had enough connectivity. Funding for the programme comes through the Universal Service Fund, with the Communications Authority and the ICT Authority initially entering into a Sh5 billion agreement to improve connectivity in 19 counties.
The government has also been using existing infrastructure to make the fibre rollout faster. Kenya Power was contracted to use its electricity network to help extend fibre connectivity to public institutions.
By June 2025, Kenya Power said it had received Sh940.6 million from the ICT Authority as part payment for design, supply and installation work carried out under the Digital Superhighway project.
The division of responsibility for the network has also been outlined by the government. In 2023, then-ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said the State would take responsibility for 52,000 kilometres of the network, while private companies would be expected to build the remaining 48,000 kilometres.
The government’s progress comes against a backdrop of growing private investment in fibre infrastructure as telecommunications companies seek greater access to bandwidth and control over data traffic.
Safaricom, the country’s leading telecommunications company, is among the firms seeking regulatory approval to land its first undersea fibre optic cable.
The company’s planned move comes as the telecommunications sector continues to rely on third-party systems for much of its international data traffic.
At the same time, more people and businesses are relying on broadband services, adding pressure for faster expansion of the country’s digital infrastructure.
Data from the Communications Authority shows that broadband subscriptions had reached 52.85 million by March 2026, more than twice the 22.08 million recorded in June 2020.
Fixed internet subscriptions have also continued to rise, increasing from 609,611 in June 2020 to 2.66 million by March 2026.
Mobile internet coverage has expanded as well, with 4G reaching 73.4 per cent of the population. 5G coverage stood at 3.04 per cent during the same period.
The fibre network is expected to provide the backbone for other digital projects being pursued by the government. These include 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots and 1,450 digital hubs at ward level.
With these projects depending partly on dependable broadband infrastructure, the 63,000-kilometre shortfall leaves the government with a major task to complete as it works towards its wider digital connectivity goals.