SAKS recently completed a baseline assessment of digital literacy levels among rural youth aged 15–35 across six counties. The study, commissioned by a regional development authority, aimed to establish a credible benchmark against which the impact of planned digital skills programmes could be measured.
The findings reveal a significant urban-rural divide in foundational digital competencies. While 78% of urban youth in the sample demonstrated basic smartphone proficiency, only 31% of rural respondents could perform equivalent tasks. Access to electricity and mobile connectivity emerged as the primary structural barriers, followed by cost of devices and limited exposure to formal digital instruction.
The study recommends a phased intervention model that begins with infrastructure investment before layering skills training — a sequencing that past programmes have frequently reversed with poor results. Full methodology and data tables are available in the published report.