The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has revealed the counties with the highest and lowest mobile ownership and internet usage in Kenya.
In the Kenya Housing Survey 2023/24, KNBS stated that 93.8% of Kenyan households own mobile phones.
The survey shows that 91.4% households in rural areas have phones, while 97.6% in urban centres have phones.
As per the survey report, Nairobi County led in mobile ownership with 67.7%, followed by Kirinyaga with 65%.
Nyandarua, Murang’a, and Kiambu also made the top five, with 63.9%, 62.3%, and 62.1%, respectively.
On the other hand, Samburu has the lowest number of mobile phones, at 29%, just behind Turkana with 29.4%. Other counties with low mobile ownership include Samburu (36.8%), Tana River (35.5%), and Marsabit (34.8%).
KNBS Internet Usage Per County
Similarly, Nairobi topped internet usage with 64.7%, followed by Kiambu at 54%.
Nyeri County ranks third with 50.1%, followed by Mombasa (46.9%) and Uasin Gishu (35%).
All five counties with the lowest mobile ownership also lag in internet usage.
West Pokot is at the bottom of the list, with 9.1%.
Tana River has an internet usage rate of 15.5%, slightly above Turkana County at 12.7%. Garissa and Marsabit counties are also among the bottom five, with 16.5% and 16.3%, respectively.
Mobile Phone Usage Among Youth
National mobile phone ownership among youth is 81.5%, with 82.4% of male youth owning phones, compared to 80.7% of females.
Furthermore, KNBS stated that the national youth internet usage stands at 58.65%.
Men spend most of their time surfing the internet, with 62.3%, followed by women at 54.8%.
Also Read: KNBS Reports Growth Across All Kenyan Economic Sectors
Mobile Phone Usage Among Individuals
The Housing Survey indicated that 53.7% of individuals own mobile phones.
Out of the stated number of people with phones, 54.5% are men, while 52.9% are women.
However, 64.9% of Kenyans use mobile phones, with men leading at 65.5%, followed by women at 64.4%.
Additionally, 35% of Kenyans use the internet, with 37.8% of men and 32.2% of women.
Also Read: Win For Kenyans as Court Rules on Mandatory Registration of Mobile Phones
Computer Usage and Internet Usage by Age
Only 11.6% of Kenyans use computers, including 13.1% of men and 10.1% of women.
Kenyans aged between 25 and 34 spend the most time on the internet, at 59.3%, followed by those aged between 35-44 years at 47.15%, and individuals aged 15 to 24 years at 46.6%.
Kenyans aged 85 years and above spend the least time online, at 4.4%, followed by children aged between 3 and 4 years at 6.2%.
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very useful.