By Fridah Mbuvi, June 19, 2026
Safaricom added 5.5 million new subscribers between January and March 2026, helping propel Kenya’s active mobile subscriptions to a record 84.1 million and pushing mobile penetration to an unprecedented 157.7 percent.
According to the latest sector statistics released by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the telecommunications industry registered a 7.4 percent growth during the quarter, driven by aggressive customer win-back campaigns by operators and increasing smartphone adoption across the country.
The report shows that prepaid services continue to dominate the market, accounting for 96.5 percent of all active mobile subscriptions.
Safaricom maintained its dominance by growing its subscriber base to 57.9 million, translating to a market share of 68.9 percent. The company accounted for nearly all of the sector’s growth during the period after gaining 5.5 million new lines.
Airtel Kenya retained its position as the second-largest operator with 23.2 million subscribers and a market share of 27.6 percent, supported by continued growth driven by data and voice promotions.
Equitel increased its customer base to 1.51 million subscribers, representing 1.8 percent of the market, while Jamii Telecommunications (JTL) registered 883,944 mobile subscribers, equivalent to a 1.0 percent market share.
Telkom Kenya, however, continued to struggle, losing 160,464 subscribers during the quarter and ending with 584,438 active lines, representing just 0.7 percent of the market.
The report also highlights the continued expansion of mobile money services. Active mobile money subscriptions rose to 53.4 million, with M-Pesa maintaining overwhelming dominance by controlling 89.1 percent of the market.
Safaricom further consolidated its position in voice and text communication, accounting for 64.96 percent of domestic voice traffic and an overwhelming 93.96 percent of local SMS traffic. Airtel captured 34.88 percent of voice traffic, remaining the only significant competitor in the segment.
Smartphone adoption also continued to accelerate, with smartphones now accounting for 63.7 percent of all devices connected to mobile networks.
Active mobile broadband subscriptions climbed to 62.6 million, with Safaricom controlling 62.7 percent of the market. The increase reflects growing demand for high-speed internet services fueled by digital transformation and expanding online services.
In the fixed internet segment, Safaricom emerged as the largest provider with a 35.4 percent market share, followed by Jamii Telecommunications at 19.5 percent.
The report also indicates that Starlink Internet Services Kenya has broken into the country’s top ten fixed internet providers, capturing 0.9 percent of the market. The satellite internet provider’s entry signals increasing competition in the broadband sector, particularly in underserved areas.
Industry analysts attribute the overall growth to increasing smartphone penetration, competitive pricing strategies by operators, and rising demand for digital services among consumers and businesses.
The Communications Authority noted that continued investment in network infrastructure and innovations in mobile financial services are expected to further drive growth in Kenya’s telecommunications sector in the coming months.
