Editor's Review

Nairobi City County has integrated Starlink technology to improve service delivery to residents.

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, was elated after Nairobi City County integrated the Starlink internet to enhance service delivery to Kenyans.  

Taking to X on Tuesday, September 17, Musk expressed his excitement over the news that City Hall had adopted Starlink, the satellite internet service developed by SpaceX. 

The X owner posted, "Starlink in Nairobi." 

According to Nairobi City County ICT Infrastructure Chief Officer Tiras Njoroge, the integration of Starlink will provide high-speed connectivity for reliable access to the county's services.

“We are excited to announce the integration of Starlink satellite technology into our Customer Service Centre, aimed at enhancing and improving service delivery to the residents of Nairobi. This upgrade will provide seamless, high-speed connectivity, allowing for faster and more reliable access to the Nairobi Pay system,” Njoroge remarked.

City Hall.

The introduction of Starlink in Kenya recently sparked a frenzy on social media, with users praising its high speeds. Some even mentioned they would switch from the Safaricom network in favor of Starlink.

Last month, some users claimed that Safaricom had canceled the option to pay for Starlink services via M-PESA, a claim that Safaricom denied. 

“This isn’t factual, the option is still there. Please reach out to us in case of any challenges faced,” Safaricom stated on August 28.

Safaricom has been on the spot after it asked the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to reconsider its decision to grant a license to Starlink internet providers. 

Safaricom asked the regulator to assess the risks of allowing satellite internet providers to operate without an agreement with local companies.   

“Satellite service providers should therefore not be granted a license directly/independently but rather only permitted to operate under the license rights of the local licensee," Safaricom stated. 

CA, in response, said Safaricom is free to raise regulatory concerns about independent satellite providers, including Starlink.