A new $2 billion (KSh 258 billion) subsea cable will link Africa directly to Asia across the Indian Ocean, The Star reported. Mauritius-headquartered Seacom is developing the cable. Mombasa will be a key landing point for East Africa's internet traffic. The extra capacity is expected to reach Kenya from 2030.
Seacom Chief Technology Officer Prenesh Padayachee told BBC Africa Enterprise that the Indian Ocean has few subsea cables compared with the busy routes between Europe and North America. He said artificial intelligence will need far more speed and capacity than today's cables were built for. He spoke of "10s or hundreds of gigabits of capacity" and said that such technology will not run on older cables. Seacom is therefore building a newer cable with newer technology.
Seacom launched Africa's first privately owned subsea fibre-optic cable in 2009. Tech companies such as Google and Meta are also laying their own cables to secure capacity and cut costs. Padayachee said direct investment in infrastructure helps drive down the cost of connectivity.
In Kenya, the project coincides with the rollout of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-2030. The plan aims to make Kenya a leading African centre for AI innovation. But the rules remain unsettled. A Senate committee rejected the Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, warning that its penalties and regulatory reach could hold back local startups. For businesses, the shift to AI-ready networks will shape the cost, speed and reliability of digital services.
More data on the move also means more cyber risk. The Communications Authority of Kenya reported that distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks rose 114.3 per cent to 72.16 million in the year to June 2026. On Monday, Kenya inaugurated the board of its new National Cybersecurity Agency, which is charged with protecting critical information infrastructure.
Seacom is looking at new security tools, including post-quantum cryptography. Padayachee said the company will start using quantum physics to encrypt data so it can stay "one step ahead" of cybercriminals.
He said connectivity should be treated as an essential service, like electricity and water. He said the cable would "go part of the way to unleash the African continent." Until the cable is finished in 2030, Kenya will have to expand its existing network capacity to meet AI demand.