According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) the value of Kenya’s telecommunications gadget imports has skyrocketed in the past four months. The gadgets including computers, laptops and smartphones make the price surge due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Many people are currently working from home while students pursue e-learning services.

How much Kenyans Have Spent on Gadgets

Currently, Kenyans have spent over KES 8 Billion during the COVID-19 period. This is an increase from the KES 5.18 billion that Kenyans spent on tech items in the four months to July last year.

Some of the reasons affecting this surge are:

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1. Staff in many firms are working from home to reduce the probability of spreading the virus. Corporate meetings and seminars are also being conducted on video-conferencing platforms.
2. Private schools are turning to online classes to generate income from fees. Thus parents and students are inclined to buying more gadgets
3. The Covid-19 restrictions increased demand for items like laptops and smartphones as people are in the need for entertainment. This is also resulting in a surge in data traffic for telecoms firms such as Safaricom.

The telecoms operator doubled Internet speeds for more than 300,000 subscribers on its home fibre connection. Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa had this to say,

“People are discovering they can work from home. Education and learning will change. Small businesses are going to learn they can digitise their operations and operate more smartly.”