Kenya’s household computer and digital access is low, with the national average currently at 10.7%. The leading county is Nairobi, with household computer access currently at 28.9%. Kajiado comes a distant second, recording 19.5% access. Another county neighboring Nairobi, Kiambu, is third with 18.5%.
This data, sourced from the Kenya Demographic Household Survey (KDHS), reveals inequalities in ICT access and usage across different counties. Mandera and Marsabit counties, both with a household computer access of 1.1%, are the lowest among the 47 counties. 23 of Kenyan counties (48.9%) have household computer access below 5%.
| County | Computer Access (%) |
| National Average | 10.7 |
| Nairobi City | 28.9 |
| Kajiado | 19.5 |
| Kiambu | 18.5 |
| Uasin Gishu | 15.6 |
| Nyeri | 13.3 |
| Machakos | 12.0 |
| Laikipia | 10.7 |
| Trans-Nzoia | 10.3 |
| Kirinyaga | 8.5 |
| Nakuru | 8.3 |
| Bungoma | 8.1 |
| Isiolo | 8.9 |
| Kakamega | 6.2 |
| Murang’a | 6.4 |
| Kericho | 6.4 |
| Kisumu | 6.5 |
| Meru | 6.8 |
| Tharaka-Nithi | 6.8 |
| Elgeyo Marakwet | 5.9 |
| Nyandarua | 5.0 |
| Narok | 4.9 |
| Samburu | 4.7 |
| Nandi | 4.6 |
| Homa Bay | 4.5 |
| Busia | 4.4 |
| Makueni | 4.4 |
| Garissa | 4.3 |
| Migori | 4.2 |
| Kisii | 7.4 |
| Embu | 7.2 |
| Taita/Taveta | 7.7 |
| Siaya | 3.9 |
| Bomet | 3.9 |
| Nyamira | 3.9 |
| Kilifi | 3.5 |
| Turkana | 3.5 |
| West Pokot | 3.4 |
| Kitui | 3.3 |
| Vihiga | 3.2 |
| Baringo | 2.6 |
| Lamu | 2.5 |
| Kwale | 2.4 |
| Tana River | 1.8 |
| Wajir | 1.4 |
| Mandera | 1.1 |
| Marsabit | 1.1 |
Kenya’s Mobile Phone Penetration
Despite limited computer and digital access nationwide, mobile phone penetration is substantial, with 93.5% of households having at least one member owning a mobile phone. Again, the tech hub of Nairobi leads with 98.8 percent mobile phone ownership. Only 11 counties (23.4%) have mobile ownership of below 90%. Turkana County greatly lags with 69.1%.
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The latest sector report from the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) shows the country has 35.2 million smartphones. However, even with the high mobile phone penetration and high number of smartphones, internet usage in Kenya is also quite low. Nationally, only 23.8 percent of households report using the internet. 6 counties with Nairobi leading with 39.6% are above the national average. Just like access to computers, Marsabit and Mandera counties are at the bottom of this list.
| County | Used Internet (%) |
| Nairobi City | 39.6 |
| Kajiado | 35.6 |
| Nakuru | 32.1 |
| Kiambu | 31.6 |
| Mombasa | 31.1 |
| Uasin Gishu | 31.7 |
| Machakos | 28.3 |
| Trans-Nzoia | 26.0 |
| Kirinyaga | 26.2 |
| Nyeri | 25.2 |
| Taita/Taveta | 24.2 |
| National | 23.8 |
| Kakamega | 21.3 |
| Laikipia | 21.4 |
| Makueni | 20.7 |
| Nyandarua | 20.1 |
| Bungoma | 20.7 |
| Lamu | 19.3 |
| Garissa | 19.1 |
| Murang’a | 18.8 |
| Tharaka-Nithi | 18.5 |
| Kericho | 18.3 |
| Nandi | 18.6 |
| Baringo | 17.9 |
| Homa Bay | 17.9 |
| Siaya | 17.5 |
| Kisumu | 17.3 |
| Meru | 16.7 |
| Vihiga | 16.6 |
| Elgeyo Marakwet | 16.6 |
| Kisii | 16.3 |
| Isiolo | 16.2 |
| Narok | 15.9 |
| Busia | 15.9 |
| Embu | 15.4 |
| Kwale | 15.0 |
| Migori | 15.1 |
| Kilifi | 13.8 |
| Samburu | 13.8 |
| Kitui | 13.7 |
| Bomet | 13.6 |
| West Pokot | 10.3 |
| Nyamira | 10.0 |
| Wajir | 8.8 |
| Tana River | 8.1 |
| Turkana | 6.6 |
| Marsabit | 4.7 |
| Mandera | 3.6 |
Gross County Product Contributions
This data was collected by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and is part of the Gross County Product (GCP) Report of 2024. The survey targeted a population aged 15 years and above.
It was found that counties with high ICT access also lead in contributions to Kenya’s Gross County Production (GCP). For instance, Nairobi County, which shows the highest percentages in ICT access, also dominates in GCP contributions.
Likewise, other urban counties such as Mombasa and Nakuru demonstrate greater household ICT adoption, mirroring their significant contributions to the Gross County Product (GCP). Uasin Gishu also exhibits strong ICT indicators, with 97.0% mobile phone penetration and 31.7% internet usage, suggesting its increasing participation in the digital economy and the potential for greater GCP contributions going forward.
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In contrast, counties such as Mandera and Marsabit, where internet usage is limited to 3.6% and 4.7%, respectively, exhibit lower contributions to the national GCP. This underscores the uneven distribution of digital access and its correlation with economic performance across different regions.
