Number of People Using the Internet in Kenya: Access to the Internet by County

An internet user is anyone who has used the internet at least once in the last three months, from any location, and any device, including a mobile phone, digital television, computer, or other technological devices.^[1]

Higher internet use by a population leads to increased access to opportunities and heightened productivity, as well as the search and purchase of goods online due to increased e-commerce and access to government services online.

Quick Facts

1. The percentage of Kenyans who had used the internet in 2024 was 35%.
2. The percentage of men in Kenya who had used the internet in 2024 was 37.8%.
3. The percentage of women in Kenya who had used the internet in 2024 was 32.2%.
4. 56.6% of Kenyans in urban areas had used the internet, compared to 25% of Kenyans in rural areas.
5. Internet use in Kenya was highest among individuals with a higher education.
6. Nairobi County had the highest % of people using the internet at 64.7%.

Share of the population using the internet in Kenya and the East African region

Data from the World Bank shows that 35% of the Kenyan population used the internet in 2023.

This was higher than in Tanzania, where 29.1% of the population had used the internet. The percentage of the population using the Internet in Uganda was 15.3%.^[2]

The share of the population using the internet in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania was still lower than the world average of 63.1% and the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 35.9%, suggesting that more still needs to be done to increase internet access in Africa.

How many people use the internet in Kenya?

According to the International Telecommunications Union, 15.3 million people used the internet in Kenya in 2021.

In Uganda, 4.75 million people used the internet, while 19.88 million were internet users in Tanzania.^[3]

Internet access in Kenya increased between 2019 and 2024

The Kenya Housing Survey found that the percentage of Kenyans using the internet in 2024 was 35%.^[4]

This was 12.3% higher than the percentage of Kenyans who had used the internet in 2019 at 22.7%.^[5]

The percentage of men in Kenya with internet access was higher than that of women. In 2024, 37.8% of men had used the internet compared to 32.2% of women.

However, internet use was higher for both men and women in 2024 compared to 2019.

In 2019, 25.2% of men and 20.2% of women used the internet.

Internet use in Kenya was higher in urban than rural areas

In urban areas, 58.4% of men and 54.4% of women aged three years and above had used the internet in 2024.

Overall, the proportion of individuals who used the internet in urban areas was 54.8% in 2024.

In rural areas, 28.3% of men and 21.7% of women aged three years and above had used the internet in 2024.

Overall, in 2024, 21.7% of individuals aged three years and above in rural areas had used the internet.

Internet usage was highest among the youth and middle-aged adults in Kenya, but gender differences in access exist.

In 2024, internet usage in Kenya was highest among individuals aged 25 – 34, with 64% of males and 54.5% of females using the internet.

Among individuals aged 15 – 24, 48.5% of men and 44.7% of women had used the internet in 2024.

These data suggest the uptake of internet services is highest among the youth, with usage declining in older age groups.

The chart also shows stark differences in internet usage between men and women, with more men than women accessing the internet.

The gender difference in internet usage across age groups reveals inequalities in access.

Internet use in Kenya increased with rising education levels

In 2024, internet use in Kenya was highest among individuals with higher education.

92.4% of men and 92.3% of women with higher education had used the internet in 2024.

In contrast, individuals with lower educational attainment levels had lower internet use.

For instance, 0% of men and women without education had used the internet in 2024. Similarly, only 6.8% of men and 6.3% of women with a pre-primary education level had used the internet.

Internet use in Kenya by marital status

In 2024, 53.3% of men and 42.5% of women in monogamous marriages had used the internet.

Among the never-married in Kenya, 51.1% of men and 49.3% of women had used the internet in 2024.

Internet use in Kenya was lowest among the widowed and those in polygamous unions.

In 2024, 23.7% of widowers and 16.5% of widows had used the internet.

In addition, 28.2% of polygamous men and 20% of women in polygamous unions had used the internet.

People with disabilities had low levels of internet usage

In 2024, only 35% of Kenyans with a visual disability, 15.5% of those with hearing disabilities, 24.3% of those with mobility disabilities, 17.2% of those with cognition disabilities, 10.5% of those with self-care disabilities, and 6.4% of those with communication disabilities had used the internet.

The chart below shows internet use among people with disabilities in Kenya by gender.

Internet use was highest among men and women with visual disabilities at 36.7% and 33.9%, respectively.

Nairobi County had the highest percentage of the population using the internet.

Nairobi County had the highest percentage of the population using the internet at 64.7% in 2024.

The top 10 counties by internet usage include:

1. Nairobi 64.7%
2. Kiambu 54%
3. Nyeri 50.1%
4. Mombasa 46.9%
5. Uasin Gishu 42.1%
6. Nyandarua 41.6%
7. Nakuru 40.1%
8. Laikipia 38%
9. Taita Taveta 37.6%
10. Machakos 37.3%

The top 10 counties with the lowest percentage of individuals using the internet in 2024 include:

1. West Pokot 9.1%
2. Turkana 12.7%
3. Tana River 15.5%
4. Marsabit 16.3%
5. Garissa 16.5%
6. Vihiga 18.3%
7. Samburu 18.9%
8. Narok 20.5%
9. Bomet 20.6%
10. Baringo 23.4%

Internet usage by county between 2019 and 2024

The chart below shows the percentage of individuals using the internet in 2019 and 2024.

Nairobi maintained its first position as the county with the highest percentage of individuals who had used the internet.

See Also

1. Mobile phone ownership in Kenya by County
2. Access to the internet in Kenya by constituency
3. Access to electricity in Kenya by county 
4. Poverty rates in Kenya by constituency
5. Access to safe drinking water in Kenya by constituency

References