For years, Kenyans in remote villages have struggled with mobile network connectivity.
In Kilifi County, small towns are mushrooming around areas where network masts have been erected.
Milore in Vitengeni and Baolala in the interior Kilifi are among the areas experiencing rapid growth due to this new infrastructure.
Selina Kaigu, a trader at Baolala market, recalled how they used to struggle with poor network coverage.
“Right now, we are happy the network problem has been resolved. We can now communicate with relatives in major towns and send money with ease,” she said.
Resident Sarah Kitole said they previously had to move to higher grounds in search of network signal.
“As traders, we are happy the network issue is behind us. We also accept payments via M-Pesa,” she said.
According to the Communications Authority, the country has achieved 96.6 per cent voice network coverage, reaching 548 remote villages over the past decade.
Only 3.4 per cent of Kenyan villages remain without coverage, said Paul Kiage, CA’s deputy director of the Universal Service Fund.
“The main objective of this project is to support the deployment of infrastructure in areas where commercial operators like Safaricom, Airtel or Telkom Kenya find it economically unviable to invest,” he said.
In the coastal region, the Communications Authority has deployed voice infrastructure in Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River and Taita Taveta.
In Kilifi, masts have been erected in Mkondoni along River Sabaki, Mwangea, Ndugumani, Gede, Baolala and Milore.
“This kind of investment helps open up rural areas. Once a mast is erected, it attracts people and businesses, boosting the local economy. We have seen significant commercial activity emerge around the site in Milore,” Kiage said.
In Kwale, four towers have been built. Taita Taveta has two, Tana River four and Lamu six.
The project to expand voice network infrastructure in remote villages started in 2016.
“The first phase was implemented in 2016-17, the second in 2020-21, the third in 2022-23 and the fourth is ongoing,” Kiage said.
The cost of deployment for phase one was Sh1.25 billion, covering 76 sublocations. Phase two cost Sh1.1 billion and covered 101 sublocations, while phase three, funded at Sh1 billion, covered 68 sublocations.
The current phase, now in the tendering stage, will cover 313 sublocations at a cost of Sh3.56 billion.
“You may wonder about the cost variations, but it depends on the number of sublocations and the terrain where the infrastructure is being built,” Kiage said.
One network mast serves an average of 5,000 people per sublocation, although some areas have populations as high as 12,000. A mast typically covers a radius of 12 kilometres.
Before deploying a mast, Communications Authority conducts an ICT access gap study, mapping populations using GIS technology to identify underserved areas.
“We analyse network coverage against population data. Areas falling outside the coverage zone become our focus for infrastructure deployment,” Kiage said.
CA’s mandate is to ensure Kenyans have access to quality communication services.
“We want to enhance services for all Kenyans by ensuring equitable distribution of infrastructure, enabling better access to information and communication,” he said.
One of the biggest challenges in deploying infrastructure is community resistance.
