William Ruto Asked Elon Musk's Starlink To Invest In Kenya To Reduce Internet Costs

• During his official visit to the United States (US), President William Ruto asked Starlink to invest in Kenya
• Ruto said Starlink's investment has the ability to significantly enhance high-speed connectivity in remote villages and schools countrywide
• The president's post on social media resurfaced after Starlink's entry into the market gained momentum amid stiff competition with other internet service providers

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting and offers profound insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Details have emerged that President William Ruto asked American billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink to invest in Kenya to reduce internet costs.

Why Ruto asked Starlink to invest in Kenya

Kenyans on social media shared a post of Ruto visiting Starlink's offices during his visit to the United States (US) in September 2023.

In a post shared on his Facebook and X handles, the president reiterated that Starlink's 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 Kenya's digital economy.

"Visited StarLink/SpaceX factory in Los Angeles, United States; urged the organisation to work towards reducing the cost of internet access in the country," Ruto wrote.

The president's post resurfaced after Starlink's entry into the market gained momentum. The Space X subsidiary is giving local internet service providers a run for their money.

Who does Starlink target?

The company announced plans to allow mobile phone users to connect directly to the satellite internet via an advanced Evolved Node B.

The eNodeB connection works similarly to the standard roaming connection and will act like a cellphone tower in space.

According to the company, the modem is compatible with ordinary 4G-LTE mobile phones.

The 4G-LTE compatibility will allow wireless connectivity to the satellite internet without the help of the hardware kit, which retails for KSh 45,000 after the expiry of the KSh 29,000 discount.

What to know about Starlink and Safaricom

• Safaricom increased the internet speeds of its Wi-Fi packages to enhance its competitiveness.
• Starlink's entry into the Kenyan market disrupted the telecommunications sector by offering high-speed internet packages at competitive prices.
• Contrary to social media reports, Safaricom clarified that it had not reduced the prices of its internet packages but instead increased the speeds associated with each package.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke