Half Of Kenyans Don’t Own Mobile Phones - Report

 

By Kepha Muiruri For Citizen Digital

While a simple mobile phone may be deemed by many as a necessity rather than a luxury, about half of Kenyans don’t own the device according to a new report.

The preliminary report on mobile phone ownership in Kenya by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) bases its data on a deep-dive of the Kenya Integrated Budget and Household Survey carried out between 2015 and 2016.

Findings from the report show 18.5 million Kenyans owed mobile phones representing just about 44.4 per cent of Kenya’s population.

This leaves behind more than 50 per cent of Kenyans without cellular devices translating to about five individuals with no mobile phones for every 10.

At present, however, the data could be skewed given the increased rate of mobile phone penetration and SIM card ownership over recent years.

Meanwhile, the findings show more men than women own mobile phones at 50.5 per cent compared to a rate of 49.5 per cent in the former.

Accounting for the female population alone, the proportion of those owning a mobile phone goes down to 43.2 per cent compared to 45.5 per cent for men.

The overall rate of mobile phone ownership dips in rural areas to 36 per cent compared to 59 per cent in urban areas.

Mobile phone ownership is highest between the ages of 25 and 54 where eight in every 10 individuals in the age bracket owns a mobile phone.

The Counties of Nairobi and Mombasa have the highest rate of mobile-phone ownership at 68 and 65 per cent respectively and is the lowest in Turkana and West Pokot at 21 and 23 per cent respectively.

According to KNBS, previous surveys have shown a correlation between mobile phone ownership and economic empowerment.

An individual is said to own a mobile phone if he or she has a mobile cellular phone device with at least one active SIM card for personal use or has a mobile cellular phone supplied by an employer for personal communication.