Written by Lisa Murimi
Kenya has officially launched its first national digital token, the Kenya Digital Token (KDT), marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital and economic transformation journey.
Built on the high-performance Solana blockchain and operating under the ticker $KDT, the token was unveiled last week by Information and Communication Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo.
Though privately developed, KDT aligns closely with the government’s digital strategy and bottom-up economic agenda.
“The future of finance is digital. Kenya must be a pioneer, not a follower, in this transformation,” Kabogo said at the launch event.
The KDT leverages Solana’s IBRL protocol, enabling thousands of transactions per second at negligible cost.
Designed for scalability and accessibility, the token can be used via smartphones and mobile money platforms like M-Pesa — a move aimed at reaching millions of Kenyans outside the traditional banking system.
The initiative includes pre-installed wallets, augmented reality learning tools, and community-based incentives to integrate all 55 million Kenyans into the digital economy.
Kenya, which already ranks fourth in Africa for cryptocurrency usage, sees this as a step toward financial inclusion and youth empowerment.
Crucially, KDT follows a decentralised model, distributing control among network participants, unlike central bank digital currencies being piloted elsewhere.
As Kenya drafts a Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill and a national virtual assets policy, regulatory bodies including the Central Bank and Communications Authority are working to ensure transparency, user protection, and responsible innovation.
KDT goes beyond simple financial utility, aiming to support cross-border payments, identity verification, and digital education.
In a region where access to banking remains limited, the token could redefine how everyday Kenyans participate in the global economy — not just as users, but as stakeholders in a digital future.
