The Connected Africa summit was the site for the official launch of UrbanTok, a Kenyan-owned video-sharing platform. Judging by its functionality, the platform is clearly designed to compete for the audience currently loyal to TikTok.
According to Mzawadi Group, the company that owns the platform, “UrbanTok is Kenya’s emerging video-sharing and livestreaming platform, built to enable creators to monetize content.”
Kenyans have taken to livestreaming in recent years, especially as it’s a means to earn from gifts sent in by viewers. TikTok is currently the most popular platform, with 18.4 million users aged 18 and above as of late 2025.
Principal Secretary, State Department for ICT and Digital Economy, Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, who was part of the launch, touched on the monetization bit.
“Kenyan creators have struggled with external algorithms and foreign payment gateways to earn from their hard work. UrbanTok is designed to put monetization directly into the pockets of our local talent seamlessly,” the PS said in a statement.
The Android version of the app was uploaded to Google’s Play Store on March 2 this year but appears to have been taken down, as it’s currently not available.
However, the web version is live with videos from creators. It has an e-commerce feature, crowdfunding, and the ability to gate and monetize content by setting it as premium.
UrbanTok Fosters Digital Sovereignty
Kenyans are big social media users but they’re still forced to use foreign-owned platforms. One of the drawbacks is account closures on platforms like X, Facebook, and others with limited room for appeal.
Another is buying gifts at a higher rate than users in other regions and having to use foreign platforms like PayPal to withdraw earnings.
PS Tanui touched on this aspect of digital sovereignty, stating, “Developing our own digital spaces ensures we retain our economic value, data, and cultural narratives right here at home.”
There have been other attempts by Kenyans to grow their own social media platforms. One that caught some attention was the video platform, Yafreeka.
It was launched by content creator Andrew Kibe after his YouTube channel was shut down. Yafreeka is still online, and the app has just over 10,000 downloads on the Play Store, but talk around it has faded.
