Kenya and European Union Deepen Strategic Ties with €430M Push for Digital Transformation
The forum was positioned as a key platform to translate long-standing relations into tangible investments, commercial partnerships, and scalable digital solutions, at a time when the global digital economy is evolving rapidly.
Kenya marked 50 years of partnership with the European Union with a renewed push to deepen collaboration in the digital economy. Speaking at the EU–Kenya Tech Business Forum, Cabinet Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo Gitau, highlighted the country’s readiness to position itself as a strategic investment partner, backed by a strong digital foundation, progressive regulatory environment, and a globally recognized mobile money ecosystem.
Kabogo noted that Kenya’s digital landscape continues to expand rapidly, supported by over 53 million mobile subscriptions and more than 42 million internet users. This growth, coupled with robust infrastructure and a thriving innovation ecosystem, has reinforced the country’s status as one of Africa’s leading technology hubs. He emphasized that Kenya is moving beyond traditional cooperation with the EU toward a more structured partnership focused on investment, innovation, and alignment of digital priorities.
The EU–Kenya Tech Business Forum brought together government officials, industry leaders, and development partners to explore opportunities for collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence, data governance, and digital infrastructure. The forum was positioned as a key platform to translate long-standing relations into tangible investments, commercial partnerships, and scalable digital solutions, at a time when the global digital economy is evolving rapidly.
Since 2021, under the Kenya–EU Strategic Dialogue, the European Union has committed more than €430 million to support Kenya’s digital transformation. These investments have already delivered measurable outcomes, including connecting over 400 schools to the internet through the Giga programme, strengthening technical and vocational education training (TVET), and advancing e-government systems and digital public infrastructure.
Kenya has also made significant strides in building its digital workforce. The government has trained more than 1.9 million young people in digital skills since 2022 and facilitated the creation of over 300,000 digital jobs through initiatives such as Ajira, Jitume, and business process outsourcing programmes. In addition, the rollout of the Digital Superhighway Programme is underway, with a target of 100,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure—nearly 24,000 kilometres of which have already been completed—alongside the establishment of 1,450 digital hubs nationwide.
In 2025, Kenya launched its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, signaling its ambition to become a continental leader in responsible AI adoption. As the partnership with the EU deepens, the government is actively inviting investment in key areas including connectivity, AI, digital public infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, and IT-enabled services.
The forum was attended by several high-level officials, including EU Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger and other European representatives, alongside senior Kenyan government officials and private sector stakeholders. The engagement underscored a shared commitment to leveraging technology and investment to drive inclusive growth and strengthen Kenya’s position as a leading digital economy in Africa.
