Smartphones Hit 50m as Kenyans Return From Overseas Job Losses

Kenya has seen a significant increase in smartphone usage, with connections surpassing 50 million for the first time, indicating a major shift away from basic mobile devices. A new survey reveals that over 50,000 Kenyans returned from overseas in 2025, with the majority citing job losses or expiring contracts as the primary reasons. Kenya's Communications Authority (CA) detected 3.37 billion cyber threat events in the first quarter of 2026, indicating the persistent and sophisticated nature of cyberattacks despite a decrease in overall reported incidents. Kenyan private sector firms are revising their inflation expectations upwards, driven by persistent concerns over fuel prices and supply-side pressures, though they still anticipate overall price growth to remain within the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)'s target range.