Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has credited Kenya’s rise as a regional digital powerhouse to bold policy reforms implemented in the early 1990s, saying the country’s shift toward a liberalised economy created the foundation for today’s thriving communications and technology sector.
Mudavadi said Kenya has undergone a profound transformation in communication, trade, and industry over the last two-and-a-half decades.
He noted that this progress stemmed from deliberate steps taken to dismantle rigid state controls and open the economy to private sector innovation.
“Kenya has made remarkable strides in communication, trade and industry in the last two and a half decades. We dared to dream of a connected Kenya, a time of bold ideas and decisive reforms, when we laid the foundations for a digital revolution,” he said.
He described the progress as the result of a vision that aimed to create a connected nation long before digital technology became widespread.
Mudavadi, who served as Minister for Finance during the early 1990s, said the government at the time removed price and exchange controls and opened key sectors to competition.
“I spearheaded the liberalisation of our economy, removing price and exchange controls and embedding the principles of a free-market economy that encouraged innovation and private enterprise,” he said.
These reforms, he explained, broke away from a system in which communication was tightly controlled, expensive, and largely inaccessible.
The liberalisation efforts paved the way for private investment in telecommunications and media, leading to increased access and lower costs for consumers.
Later, as Minister for Information, Transport and Communications, Mudavadi oversaw further restructuring of the communications sector.
He said this included breaking the state monopoly and opening the airwaves to new entrants, a move that led to the growth of independent radio stations and wider media freedom.
It was during this transformative period that the government licensed Safaricom and Kencell, now Airtel Kenya, marking the birth of mobile telephony in the country.
“Working closely with Michael Joseph and the dedicated Safaricom team, we witnessed the rise of a homegrown success story that would go on to empower millions and place Kenya at the heart of Africa’s digital innovation journey,” Mudavadi said.
The impact of these reforms has been far-reaching. Kenya is now recognised as a leader in digital finance and mobile connectivity.
From the first mobile phone calls to the launch of M-Pesa, the world’s pioneering mobile money platform, digital technology has become central to daily life. Today, over 95 per cent of Kenyans own a mobile phone, and mobile money is widely used for banking, payments, trade, and access to services.
Mudavadi said the growth of the communications sector has driven entrepreneurship, generated jobs, and opened new pathways for innovation.
He praised Safaricom’s role in extending digital access and supporting social and economic development.
“As I look back, I take pride in how far we have come, a testament to vision, courage, and the enduring spirit of the Kenyan people,” he said.
He said Kenya’s digital journey shows what visionary leadership, strong policy direction, and public-private collaboration can achieve.
