A new report by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) from April 1 to June 30, 2025 shows Safaricom still dominating the mobile and fibre sectors in Kenya.
Total mobile (SIM) subscriptions reached 76.7 million, resulting in a penetration rate of 146.3%. This growth is attributed to the rising demand for mobile broadband and mobile money services. Mobile money subscriptions saw a 5.2% quarterly increase, reaching 47.7 million, with a penetration rate of 91.0%.
Mobile data and broadband subscriptions grew by 3.0% to 58.6 million, with 78.2% of these being mobile broadband. The consumption of 4G and 5G data grew significantly, indicating a consumer shift toward faster internet speeds. This is further highlighted by the fact that the number of smartphones grew by 3.3% to 43.8 million, while feature phone use declined by 9.5%.
Total domestic mobile voice traffic reached 29.17 billion minutes, and SMS traffic grew by 6.5% to 15.25 billion messages. The report also notes a sharp increase in international voice traffic. For instance, international outgoing voice traffic rose by 11.4% to 200.3 million minutes. However, international SMS traffic declined, likely due to the popularity of internet-based messaging apps.
Fixed data/internet subscriptions grew by 7.9% to over 2.1 million. Fibre-optic subscriptions continue to be the main driver, growing by 28.5% annually. Most fixed-data customers are subscribed to speeds between 10 Mbps and 30 Mbps.
The total used international internet bandwidth increased by 9.1% to 13,689.265 Gbps, showing a higher demand for international connectivity despite a decrease in total available capacity.
Mobile market
1. Safaricom PLC maintained its dominant position with 49.9 million subscriptions and a market share of 63.3%. Despite a slight dip from the previous quarter, the company’s subscriber base grew by over a million. Safaricom’s M-Pesa mobile money service, however, continued a six-quarter downward trend in market share, although it still dominates with a 90.8% share. The company’s revenues grew by 10.7% to Ksh. 425.5 billion, with M-Pesa revenues increasing by 15.2% year-on-year.
2. Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd continued to close the gap on its main competitor. The company’s market share grew to a record 32.2% with the addition of nearly 3 million new subscribers in the first three months of 2025. Airtel’s aggressive pricing strategy and growing agent network have significantly boosted its mobile money service, Airtel Money, which has seen its market share rise to 9.1%—its highest ever. Airtel also recorded the longest on-net call durations at 3.1 minutes, well above the market average.
3. Telkom Kenya Limited and Finserve (Equitel) maintained marginal but stable market shares of 1.5% and 2.0% respectively.
4. Jamii Telecommunications Ltd (Faiba) holds a small but growing share of the mobile market, with its customers showing high off-net call duration.
Fixed Data & Broadband
1. Safaricom PLC leads the fixed data market with a 34.3% market share, with over 735,000 subscriptions. The company continues to invest in its fiber-optic network, a key part of its strategy to connect over 2 million homes by 2030.
2. Jamii Telecommunications Limited holds the second-largest share at 20.6% and over 442,000 subscriptions, reflecting its strong focus on providing data services.
3. Wananchi Group (Kenya) Limited and Poa Internet Kenya Ltd follow with market shares of 12.7% and 12.5% respectively.
4. Ahadi Wireless Limited made a significant entry into the top ten list of fixed internet service providers, securing a 7.5% market share.
5. Starlink Internet Services Kenya saw its market share decline slightly to 0.8% despite adding new customers. This dip is attributed to the high cost of its equipment and a temporary freeze on new connections.