Kenya’s ICT sector demonstrated significant growth in the first quarter of 2025 (Jan 1 2025 – March 31, 2025). There were notable increases in mobile connectivity, mobile money usage, and internet subscriptions. According to the latest statistics report from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) for the period of January 1st to March 31st, 2025, the digital economy continues on an upward trajectory.
The report highlights a 6.7% quarterly increase in active mobile (SIM) subscriptions, which surged to 76.2 million. This pushed the mobile penetration rate to an impressive 145.3%, a surge attributed by the CA to customer acquisition and retention campaigns by mobile network operators.
The mobile sector remains the primary driver of the ICT landscape. The number of smartphones connected to mobile networks reached 42.3 million, while feature phones accounted for 32.6 million, bringing the total mobile phone penetration to 143.0%.
Key highlights from the mobile network services include:
1. Mobile Money Growth: Mobile money subscriptions saw a significant 7.2% rise, reaching 45.4 million active users. The number of mobile money agents also grew by 5.5% to 416,994, underscoring the service’s critical role in the nation’s economy.
2. Data and Broadband Uptake: Mobile data subscriptions increased by 1.9% to 57.2 million. The demand for faster internet continues to fuel the adoption of 4G and 5G services, with mobile broadband subscriptions climbing 2.4% to 44.4 million.
3. Voice and SMS Traffic: Domestic voice traffic grew to 28.8 billion minutes, up from 27.4 billion in the previous quarter. Similarly, total SMS traffic increased to 14.3 billion messages.
In terms of market share for mobile subscriptions, the report indicates the competitive landscape among the key operators, with each vying for a larger portion of the growing customer base.
The fixed network segment also recorded positive growth. Subscriptions for fixed internet services climbed by 8.1% to 1.86 million. This increase was largely driven by a 6.1% rise in Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) subscriptions, which now stand at over 1.13 million.
Safaricom PLC leads the fixed internet market with a 36.5% share, followed by Jamii Telecommunications Ltd (JTL) at 22.5% and Wananchi Group at 14.4%.
Interestingly, the report notes a 9.9% drop in satellite internet subscriptions, a decline attributed to a reduction in users for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services like Starlink Internet Services Kenya.
The broadcasting sector saw a 1.5% increase in subscriptions, totaling 6.28 million. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Direct-To-Home (DTH) services grew by 0.2% and 3.9% respectively, while cable television subscriptions saw a significant jump of 31.5%.
The performance of postal and courier services presented a mixed picture. The Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) experienced a sharp decline in domestic traffic, with letters and parcels falling by 82.1% and 74.8%, respectively. However, international outgoing parcels and letters through PCK surged dramatically. Private courier operators also saw a 25.5% decrease in domestic parcel deliveries but recorded growth in international services.
In a reminder of the growing digital risks, the National Cyber Space Landscape section of the report revealed a massive 201.7% increase in detected cyber threats, which ballooned to 2.5 billion. System vulnerabilities accounted for the vast majority of these threats. In response, the Kenya Computer Incident Response Team/Coordination Centre (KE-CIRT/CC) issued over 13.2 million cyber threat advisories, a 14.2% increase from the previous quarter.