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Kenya drops in global internet quality ranking
The country improved in internet affordability and electronic government adoption, rising 11 and 2 positions, respectively, in the rankings during the year.
Kenya last year dropped 33 positions in quality of electronic infrastructure and 18 positions in internet connectivity strength year-on-year, to hold 101st and 110th rankings on the globe respectively, pointing to a slowed growth in the country’s digital landscape.
In a new study that seeks to assess a country’s digital quality of life, Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm Surfshark shows that the deteriorated performance pulled Kenya’s overall performance down 13 places to hold the 89th position out of 121 ranked countries.
This saw the country’s digital quality of life index drop to its lowest level in at least four years, standing at 0.37 down from 0.42 in 2023. Germany, the world’s top performer, posted a score of 0.78 in 2024.
According to the survey, e-infrastructure refers to ICT-based resources such as networks, grids and data centres that facilitate access to the Internet.
It also comprises tools required for the integration of various technologies such as Internet broadband channels, computing power, bandwidth provisioning, data storage, among others.
The internet quality parameter, on the other hand, measures how fast and stable the Internet connectivity in a country is and how well it is improving.
“The quality of internet connectivity greatly depends on its speed and stability. Slow and unstable connections inhibit daily use and diminish work efficiency, while fast and stable connections allow for better communication and high-quality content,” notes Surfshark.
The study found that the majority of European countries enjoy an above-average digital quality of life, with Germany, Finland, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Luxembourg, the UK and Estonia taking the top 10 slots globally.
African nations formed the bulk of those at the bottom of the barrel, including the DRC, Mozambique, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali and Zimbabwe while Yemen was the bottom-most.
The country posted positives in internet affordability and adoption of electronic government, rising 11 positions and two positions respectively in the rankings during the year.
“Electronic government determines how advanced and digitised a country’s government services are. Better e-government helps minimise bureaucracy, reduce corruption and increase transparency within the public sector,” the survey states.
“It also improves the efficiency of public services and helps people save time, influencing the quality of their digital lives.”
On digital security and Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness, Kenya yet again recorded a decline at four positions and six positions ranking drops respectively.
Digital security measures how safe people are online, and gives an indication of a country’s readiness to counter cybercrimes as well as its commitment to protecting online privacy.
During the year under review, Kenya’s index score placed it 7th among 25 ranked African countries behind South Africa, Morocco, Mauritius, Egypt, Tunisia, and Ghana.
