Kenya opens a $390 million fibre tender. Which counties need it most?
The Information and Communications Technology Authority opened an international tender on 16 September 2026 to expand the national fibre backbone and cross border links. TechAfrica News reports that the World Bank is financing it with USD 390 million in credits under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project. Bids close on 29 October 2026.
What the tender covers
Lot 1 covers national backbone links, and ICTA plans to appoint between 5 and 20 providers. Lot 2 covers cross border and metro links, with 5 to 8 providers. Winning providers compete for subsidies on designated routes through a reverse auction. Public sector fibre grew from 22,486 km in 2022 to more than 30,400 km today, and the stated target is 100,000 km.
What nobody has published yet
The route lists for each lot are not public in the sources I have. That means I cannot tell you which counties will get new fibre. I will add the routes to the map when ICTA names winners and publishes them.
The counties to check the routes against
When the routes appear, the first question is whether they reach the counties at the bottom of the ranking. 8 counties fall in my lowest tier: Turkana, Marsabit, Garissa, Samburu, Wajir, West Pokot, Mandera and Tana River. Together they cover 341,917 km², about 58% of the country. Not one of them reaches the 35% national internet use figure. Turkana sits last at 10.7.
| County | Composite | Internet use | Towers per 100 km² | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkana | 10.7 | 12.7% | 1.0 | 70,132 |
| Marsabit | 13.0 | 16.3% | 0.5 | 76,028 |
| Garissa | 17.4 | 16.5% | 1.1 | 43,596 |
| Samburu | 18.0 | 18.9% | 1.3 | 21,016 |
| Wajir | 18.3 | 24.2% | 0.3 | 56,669 |
| West Pokot | 18.5 | 9.1% | 6.2 | 9,306 |
| Mandera | 19.8 | 24.9% | 0.4 | 25,979 |
| Tana River | 24.1 | 15.5% | 1.6 | 39,192 |
Why backbone fibre is only half the answer
Backbone fibre feeds towers. A county with 0.4 towers per 100 km² needs more of them as well as the cable. It also needs power to run them, and Turkana, Wajir and Mandera all sit below 20% electricity access. The electricity post covers that side.
I will update this post when ICTA names the winners. The county ranking is on the most and least connected counties page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ICTA fibre tender?
ICTA opened an international tender on 16 September 2026 under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project. The World Bank is financing it with USD 390 million in credits. Lot 1 covers national backbone links and Lot 2 covers cross border and metro links.
When do bids close?
Bids close on 29 October 2026 at 10:00 a.m. East African Time at Telposta Towers in Nairobi, according to TechAfrica News.
Explore the data
Open the interactive map or browse all 47 counties. County data is on the data page.