State to set up 25,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots

ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

The government plans to establish 25,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots across the country to spur the digital economy.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said the government has embarked on a mission to provide free internet to the disadvantaged population.

He said one of the Kenya Kwanza government's foremost commitments is the inclusion of people in the economy.

"The government is especially dedicated to including the lowest cadres of citizens in the emerging digital and creative economies," he said.

Owalo was speaking on Thursday in Kawangware, Nairobi during the launch of the Internet Mashinani product by Airtel Kenya.

Internet Mashinani will provide low-priced internet broadband devices for homes, small and medium-sized enterprises and communities in small towns and remote areas.

The devices include a pocket Wi-Fi device that will sell at Sh2,500 including 4GB free data from around Sh4,499 and a smart box router at Sh5,500 with 10GB free data.

"The Airtel network covers 89 per cent of the population in Kenya, using 4G technologies to provide world class quality broadband access," said Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra.