Government employees and those in the corporate world are more likely to own a smartphone and access internet according a new report by KNBS
New data from the 2023/24 Kenya Housing Survey reveals that formal sector employment remains a key driver of digital access in the country, with government and corporate workers far more likely to own and use mobile phones, computers, and the internet than those in informal or agricultural work.
According to the report, mobile phone ownership among national government employees stands at 98.4%, with nearly all (92%) accessing the internet. County government staff are close behind, with 97.5% ownership and 86% internet usage. Private sector enterprise workers also report high penetration, at 96.5% mobile ownership and 74.1% internet use.
In contrast, the lowest levels of ICT access are found in pastoralist and small-scale agricultural communities. Only 40% of employed pastoralists own a mobile phone, and just 12.5% use the internet. For self-employed pastoralists, internet usage drops to 10.8%. Small-scale agriculture fares slightly better, but with just 25.5% of employed farmers online, the gap remains significant.
Computer usage figures mirror the same trend. While over half of county government staff (55.3%) and NGO employees (54.3%) use computers, the rate plummets to 4% among small-scale agricultural workers and zero for employed pastoralists.
Analysts say the findings highlight a critical digital divide that is not only geographical but also economic and occupational.
“When entire segments of the workforce remain offline, it limits their access to markets, information, and modern services,” reads the report.
The report urges targeted ICT infrastructure investment and digital literacy programs for rural and informal sector workers, warning that without intervention, Kenya’s push toward a digital economy could deepen inequality rather than close it.
