Kenya has been named the top-performing country in Africa in the regulation of information and communications technology (ICT), following a fresh global ranking by a United Nations agency.

According to the latest ICT Regulatory Tracker published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Kenya rose to 93 points in 2025, an improvement from 92 in the previous year, and emerged ahead of Nigeria and South Africa, which scored 92 and 88 points respectively.

Other African nations that made it to the top ten include Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Senegal.

On the global scale, Kenya was ranked 20th out of 194 countries surveyed. Italy claimed the top position with a perfect score of 100, followed closely by Lithuania with 99.5 points.

Finland and Ireland were joint third, each with 99 points.

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The ITU, which serves as the specialised ICT agency of the United Nations, said its assessment looked at several factors including the structure and mandate of national regulatory authorities, the scope of regulatory policies in place, and the resilience of each country’s competition framework.

The ICT Regulatory Tracker functions as a data-driven tool that enables governments and regulators to assess their digital ecosystems against global benchmarks.

Kenya’s regulatory framework was further recognised by the ITU as having achieved the highest tier of classification — the fourth generation (G4) status — an accolade reserved for countries with highly advanced, inclusive, and competitive ICT regulation.

According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), this international endorsement reflects Kenya’s leadership in digital policy and regulation on the continent.

"This ranking is a clear testament of the excellent work that CA has done in spearheading Kenya's digital transformation and driving digital access for all. At 25, CA's regulatory regime has attained maturity and gained global recognition," said the Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Steve Isaboke.

"This ranking shows that CA staff and leadership are executing their work diligently," added Isaboke.

The Director General of CA, David Mugonyi, remarked that the announcement arrives at a timely moment as the Authority prepares to mark its 25th anniversary next month.

He noted that the regulatory approach adopted by CA has fostered nationwide connectivity, giving both individuals and enterprises greater access to ICT services and market choice.

The Communications Authority said the progress attested to the Government’s continued effort to maintain a fair and technology-neutral policy environment that fosters innovation, affordability, and universal access to digital services.