Whenever a speech is given on how to improve the lives of youth in Kenya, technology is invariably presented as the answer – an equaliser of sorts amid the country’s economic inequality.

It is the premise on which President William Ruto built his campaign strategy in 2022. He went on a frenzy, promising the installation of 100,000 km of fibre network and the setting up of internet hotspots. His digital masterplan targeted 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots across all wards – more than 1,400 – by 2027.