Safaricom is building its first subsea Internet cable with backing from Meta, through its infrastructure affiliate, Edge Network Services. When completed, this could boost Kenya’s digital infrastructure and make the country less vulnerable to regional Internet disruptions.
Named Daraja — Swahili for bridge — the $23 million project is designed to improve Internet capacity, speed, and reliability in Kenya.
Scheduled for completion in 2026, the subsea cable will stretch from Mombasa to the Middle East and offer 24 fibre pairs, a significant upgrade compared to the 8 to 16 typical in many existing systems.
Daraja arrives at a time when Kenya is seeking greater control over its digital future. Past service disruptions caused by damage to older cables like SEACOM and EASSy have exposed the fragility of relying solely on external providers. For Safaricom, Daraja is both a response to that vulnerability and a strategic step towards long-term digital independence.
Meta’s support of the project, via Edge Network Services, is part of a much bigger plan. The social media giant is already a major investor in the 2Africa subsea cable — one of the world’s largest — which is expected to be operational by late 2025. Spanning 45,000 km and connecting Africa to Europe and the Middle East, 2Africa aims to deliver up to 180 TBPs of capacity and touch 33 countries.
By investing in Daraja, Meta deepens its role in Africa’s connectivity ecosystem. The company has long argued that improving Internet access drives socio-economic growth. Research tied to its projects suggests that new cables could add up to $37 billion to the African GDP over the next few years.
Daraja also reflects a broader trend: Africa’s east coast is becoming a hotspot for subsea infrastructure. The PEACE cable, which connects Kenya with Pakistan and Europe, went live in 2022. Africa-1, another high-capacity system linking France to East Africa and the Middle East, is scheduled to launch in 2025.
In Kenya, better infrastructure could translate to more reliable Internet for startups, students, and underserved communities. As more essential services shift online, from eCommerce to healthcare and education, reliable broadband is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
