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The European Union has committed €37 million ($42.8 million) to extend the Blue-Raman submarine cable into East Africa, a move expected to strengthen internet connectivity, reduce bandwidth costs and support the region’s growing digital economy.
The investment will fund the extension of the cable from Djibouti to Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania, linking East Africa to a major digital corridor that connects Europe, the Middle East and India.
The project forms part of the EU-Africa-India Digital Corridor initiative, which aims to create secure, high-capacity digital links between the three regions.
Kenyan President William Ruto announced the funding after discussions with European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen in Brussels.
According to Ruto, the project will improve regional connectivity and support East Africa’s growing digital ambitions.
“The cable extension will connect Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Djibouti to a major digital corridor linking Europe, the Middle East and India,” Ruto said.
The funding is part of a wider €139 million package of digital investments secured during the visit, reflecting increasing international interest in Africa’s technology infrastructure.
The Blue-Raman system was first unveiled in 2021 as a collaboration involving Google, Italian telecommunications company Sparkle and other partners.
The network was designed to create a new route for internet traffic between Europe and India through the Middle East, reducing dependence on traditional chokepoints and improving network resilience.
Stretching approximately 12,700 kilometres, the system consists of two main segments.
The Blue section links countries including Italy, France, Greece and Israel, while the Raman section connects Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman and India.
The cable operates on an open-access model, allowing multiple service providers to use its infrastructure and encouraging greater competition in the telecommunications market.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently described the East African extension as a major step forward for regional digital development.
“Together with Italy, we will finance an extension of Blue-Raman from its African hub in Djibouti to Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. This will connect East Africa to huge digital markets. It is a whole world of new opportunities, for Africa, for Europe and beyond,” she said.
The EU has positioned the Blue-Raman expansion as a flagship digital infrastructure project under its Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to strengthen economic and technological links between Europe, Africa and Asia through long-term investments in connectivity and innovation.
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