President William Ruto on Saturday paid a visit to StarLink and SpaceX factory in Los Angeles, in the United States.
During his visit, Ruto implored the organisation to work towards reducing the cost of internet access in Kenya.
He further called for a collaboration with Starlink’s authorised dealer in Kenya Karibu Connect, to ensure a more connected and innovative future.
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by the American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to over 60 countries including Kenya.
SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe.
“An insightful day at SpaceX, understanding the transformative power of Starlink. Thank you Elon Musk for your vision and commitment to global connectivity,” Ruto said.
Ruro said that Starlink presents a promising solution for achieving universal internet access by overcoming traditional infrastructure limitations.
“Their investment has the ability to significantly enhance high-speed connectivity in remote villages, schools and various institutions across the country, thus unlocking the full potential of our digital economy,” he said.
In July, Starlink announced that the service is now available in Kenya, and appointed Karibu Connect as its first authorised reseller for satellite internet, days after Safaricom Plc announced plans to offer a similar product.
In January this year, the satellite internet service announced plans to venture into the Kenyan market with the launch expected in Q2 2023.
The company powered by SpaceX said it was awaiting service coverage and regulatory approval.
This means that a user who purchases a Starlink kit with global roaming capability gets to access internet services when travelling to different locations around the world.
