Apps Craze Catches on as Kenya's Economy Goes Digital

A person using a mobile phone
A person using a mobile phone.
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  The mobile phone apps craze has caught on in Kenya, with many aspects of the economy now digital.

Over 83% of Kenyans now use the digital space for their daily lives, especially sending and receiving money and other business-related activities, according to a report by Dalberg Consulting Firm. 

Kenya has branded herself as the best innovative digital economy in the south of Sub-Saharan. 

This has seen the country get nicknamed in some quarters as ‘Sub-Sahara silicon valley’, with many multinationals setting up their regional or continental headquarters in Nairobi.

A person using a phone
A person using a phone
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Supporting this sentiment is the report by Dalberg which states, “Kenya has established itself as a go-to country for many start-ups looking to test and launch digitally enabled products and services. Kenya has one of the most advanced agri-tech ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa.” 

This has made Kenyans be so dependent on apps for their digital services. This has put Kenya among the leading countries in the digital economy contribution to the GDP at 7.7 percent. 

The report indicates, “Most Kenyans see a better quality of life and some see improved economic conditions as a result of using digital devices and services”. 

The report praises Kenyans and how they have embraced technology, saying many now depend on the digital economy like fintech, which inspired them to pioneer cashless money transfer using mobile phones (M-Pesa).

“Also, activities like selling, buying, doing online learning, entertainment, farming, seeking e-government services through e-citizen or filing tax returns,” says the report.

According to KNBS most services have gone digital, with many Kenyans now preferring to use mobile phone applications for their daily activities.

Dalberg report shows that 45 percent of Kenyans have confidence in the use of the digital ID’s commonly known as Huduma cards

The Communications Authority of Kenya offices along Waiyaki Way, Nairobi.
The Communications Authority of Kenya offices along Waiyaki Way, Nairobi.
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