Ruto urges Elon Musk's Starlink to reduce internet costs in Kenya

This he said during his Saturday visit to SpaceX's factory, the company operating Starlink, in Los Angeles, United States of America.

The Head of State further acknowledged the great potential Starlink has in providing better internet services globally and bolstering the digital economy.

"Their investment has the ability to significantly enhance high-speed connectivity in remote villages, schools and various institutions across the country, thus unlocking the full potential of our digital economy,"  he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Ruto traveled to the US on September 13, where he is expected to hold a series of meetings.

So far he has visited Silicon Valley in San Francisco, where he met Apple CEO Tim Cook, Intel's Pat Gelsinger, Google CFO Ruth Porat and executives from Nike, GAP and Levi Strauss.

He also met with the President of Invention Studios Nicholas Weinstock and explored the possibilities of American filmmakers filming in Kenya to potentially generate job opportunities and contribute to the growth of our film industry.

Likewise, he held talks with the Grammy Global Venture CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and President Panos Panay to advocate for the Grammy Africa Academy Headquarters to be hosted in Nairobi.

The Head of State is now set to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

Starlink in Kenya

Starlink was first made available in Kenya on July 18, 2023.

Kenyans will cough up Ksh.74,216 ($599) to register for the internet service which began launching satellites in 2019. 

Starlink, which is already available in 44 countries globally, targets customers who struggle to access the internet through traditional landlines.

The internet service provider says it is capable of delivering speeds of over 150Mbps to any place on the planet, as long as its satellite dish has a clear view of the sky.

Starlink’s kit comes in three trim levels; Standard for “residential users and everyday internet applications” like streaming, video calls and online gaming; High Performance for “power user, business, and enterprise applications”.

This kit allows better speeds at high temperatures, can connect to more satellites, and is more resilient to extreme environments.

The most sophisticated of them all, the Flat High-Performance kit, targets “mobility applications and challenging environments”.