Kenya is preparing to launch a state-backed digital coin on Solana’s high-throughput infrastructure, a technological gamble that targets its massive microtransaction economy and signals its intent to shape Africa’s role in the global digital marketplace.
Summary
- Kenya is planning to launch state-backed digital coin on Solana, targeting its micro-transaction economy.
- Former PM Raila Odinga said the initiative would position Kenya as a leader in Africa’s digital finance.
- Public reaction was mixed, with skepticism over past Solana-linked national token failures.
On September 18, Kenya’s former prime minister Raila Odinga unveiled the ambitious plan via a social media address, framing the Solana-based initiative as a foundational step to bolster financial systems and fuel sustainable economic growth.
The announcement, light on specifics like a launch date or ticker, was heavy on intent: to empower the nation’s youth by creating direct avenues into cryptocurrency and the wider digital-asset economy. Odinga positioned the move as a bid for continental leadership, stating Kenya is “ready to lead Africa and the world in the future of finance.”
https://twitter.com/RailaOdinga/status/1968609830043550098
A bold bet meets a skeptical public
The choice of Solana is a technical decision with profound economic implications. Kenya’s existing mobile-money ecosystem, led by M-Pesa, thrives on the very high-volume, low-value transactions that many blockchains struggle to process affordably.
Solana’s architecture, built for speed and minimal fees, directly addresses this need, suggesting a pragmatic aim to build a scalable digital-payments layer rather than a simple digital replica of the shilling.
However, the announcement was met with immediate and pronounced skepticism on social media. On X, Kenyans responded to Raila Odinga’s video with a wave of concern, many questioning if his account had been hacked or if the video was a sophisticated deepfake.
The cynical reacti
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Author: Brian Danga
