President William Ruto has announced that he will use his upcoming trip to New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September to push for greater digital opportunities for Kenyan creators and small businesses.
Speaking on Saturday during the State Concert of the 97th Kenya Music Festival in Nyeri, Ruto revealed plans to lobby Google to allow Kenyans to purchase adverts using M-PESA. Currently, advertising on platforms like Google and YouTube requires a credit or debit card — a barrier that excludes many Kenyan creators and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that lack such access.
“I will ask Google to enable Kenyans to purchase adverts via M-PESA a change that will benefit both creatives and MSMEs selling their products online. It will create a win-win situation for Kenya and for YouTube, which will enjoy more transactions on its platform,” Ruto said.
The president explained that integrating M-PESA into advertising payments would make digital promotion more accessible, enabling small businesses to expand their online reach. He argued that the move would democratize digital commerce, putting creators and MSMEs at the center of Kenya’s growing digital economy.
Ruto also disclosed that he intends to pursue other collaborations at the UN meeting, including pushing for M-PESA integration into Facebook’s payment system to make payouts to creators faster and more convenient.
He noted that when he assumed office in August 2022, only four African countries had monetisation opportunities on Facebook, with Kenya excluded. However, after negotiations with Facebook’s leadership, Kenya was added to the list of eligible countries.
“We fought hard and we won. And we are not stopping,” Ruto said, affirming his government’s commitment to expanding opportunities for local creators.
To further support the sector, Ruto directed all government ministries, departments, and agencies to prioritise advertising on digital platforms, saying this would increase engagement and revenue for Kenyan creatives.
The 80th session of UNGA will open on September 9, 2025, where Ruto is expected to engage top technology leaders in advancing Kenya’s digital economy agenda.
