VPNs in Kenya have become increasingly popular, especially in an era where our local service providers are becoming increasingly unreliable as they act like watchdogs for the government. And it’s not that if you visit websites, YouTube, and website advertisements are everywhere, forcing you to seek Ad blockers, including VPNs.
But are they really necessary? Let’s see when you need a VPN and why you use it, because surely if you want to access content not available in Kenya, for example on Netflix, it’s indispensable. However, before we dive into the article, allow me to clarify that VPNs are not the absolute shield that guarantees you online security; they are a tool that improves privacy for specific purposes. That’s why VPN services combine them with other solutions to meet users’ needs. Let’s see how to assess if you need it.
What is a VPN
For those who might not know what a VPN is, in simpler words, a VPN stands for a Virtual Private Network. Technically, a VPN is any type of connection that redirects Internet traffic through any remote location and encrypts the data.
A VPN connection is, therefore, virtual, meaning that when you use it, you are not connected directly to the VPN server. It is also private because it is encrypted and no one can see your data if it does not record it. It’s also a network connection because the devices involved, your computer or phone, and the company’s servers providing the service, work together to create it.
How a VPN works
When you activate a VPN, an encrypted connection is created between your device and a remote server operated by the service you are using. From here, the connection will go to the server of the sites you want to visit or the apps, such as streaming platforms.
This connection, also called a tunnel, conveys Internet traffic to the server, and incoming data makes the reverse path. This way, websites, apps, and services won’t see your computer or phone, but connection requests from the VPN server you’re connected to.
I hope the image below can help you visualize even more how a VPN Truly works:
When to use a VPN
There are a number of reasons that can make you want to use a VPN in Kenya. Here are some of them:
When you want to access regional restraint content
Due to licensing agreements, streaming platforms, such as Netflix, do not offer the same content in each country. If you want to access the TV series available in the United Kingdom, for example, from Kenya, you can do it with a VPN: just set the server to the United Kingdom. The same goes for traveling abroad and wanting to access your favorite content.
When using public Wi-Fi
While it’s common for Kenyans to love free things and public Wi-Fi—I mean, who does not want free Wi-Fi? But then you should know that it poses real security targets as it isn’t secure by any means. If you use your smartphone with any public Wi-Fi, your traffic may be intercepted, and the data monitored or even stolen. Thanks to encryption, a virtual private network (VPN) can help protect them, making it much more difficult for hackers to access this information.
When working remotely
There are many remote job opportunities for Kenya, but truth be told, most companies prefer hiring candidates from developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and so on. If you find yourself in a position like this, you can use a VPN to apply for jobs in those countries as if you were there in person.
Hide your navigation to your Internet service provider
When you connect to the Internet from home, using your phone’s hotspot or a mobile router, the traffic passes through the provider of your Internet service (ISP). It is possible that this information may be sold for marketing or profiling purposes, or in some cases, even for control if a government is particularly aggressive in this sense, a common Case was how Safaricom gives out user location to police during the 2024 Finance bill protests. This is possible because your device comes with a unique IP address, but if you use a VPN, traffic passes through the VPN service server first, hiding it from the ISP.
The End
And finally, a warning. When you use a VPN, all your Internet traffic passes through its servers – this means you have to trust that you don’t log your data and don’t sell it.
For this reason, when you choose a VPN it is always good to deepen its privacy policies and the presence of external audits that certify it, as well as understand its business model well.
