Meta backs Safaricom’s Sh379.9bn Daraja Cable linking Kenya and Oman
The system, known as the Daraja Fibre Optic Cable, promises to deliver greater internet speed, stability, and capacity than existing infrastructure.
A Sh379.9 billion fibre-optic cable project, backed by Meta and led by Safaricom, is set to transform Kenya’s digital backbone by linking Mombasa directly to Oman by 2026.
The system, known as the Daraja Fibre Optic Cable, promises to deliver greater internet speed, stability, and capacity than existing infrastructure.
Documents filed with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) show that Safaricom is the lead proponent of the project.
According to the Environmental Impact Assessment, “The Daraja Project is expected to go live in 2026, delivering much-needed internet capacity and enhanced reliability between Oman and Kenya, supplementing the fast-growing demand in both countries.”
Unlike current undersea cables that carry between 8 and 16 fibre pairs, Daraja will have 24, a capacity that industry experts say will significantly enhance connectivity in the region.
“The project will underpin the further growth of 4G, 5G, and fixed broadband access for hundreds of thousands of people,” the report stated.
NEMA has already granted Safaricom approval to land the cable at Nyali beach in Mombasa, with routes also mapped into Tanzanian waters.
This move comes at a critical time for Kenya, following recent outages caused by breaks in subsea cables in the Red Sea and along the East African coast, which disrupted internet access and exposed the vulnerability of existing systems.
Meta’s participation in the venture is part of its broader plan to build a 50,000-kilometre global subsea network.
The tech company is already behind the 2Africa and Pearls projects, which stretch across Africa, Asia, and Europe, interconnecting dozens of markets.
Mombasa, which already hosts other major cable systems such as Africa-1, PEACE, and DARE1, has increasingly become a strategic landing hub for international internet infrastructure.
The entry of the Daraja cable is expected to strengthen that position, boosting Kenya’s resilience and deepening its role in global data routes.
