Safaricom is inching closer to the historic milestone of 60 million subscribers after posting impressive growth in Kenya’s mobile market, according to the latest sector statistics released by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The report, covering the Third Quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year from January to March 2026, revealed that active mobile subscriptions in Kenya grew significantly to 84.1 million, representing a 7.4 percent increase compared to the previous quarter.
The growth pushed Kenya’s mobile penetration rate to 157.7 percent, highlighting the country’s increasing reliance on mobile connectivity for communication, business, financial services and access to the internet.
Safaricom Extends Its Market Dominance
Safaricom emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the surge in subscriptions, adding approximately 5.5 million new customers during the quarter.
The telecommunications giant increased its subscriber base from 52.4 million to 57.9 million active subscriptions, giving it a commanding 68.9 percent market share.
The latest figures place Safaricom within touching distance of the significant 60-million-subscriber mark in the Kenyan market.
The operator’s dominance continues to be driven by its extensive network coverage, mobile money ecosystem and expanding data services.
Airtel Maintains Second Position
Airtel Kenya retained its position as the country’s second-largest mobile operator.
The company recorded 23.2 million subscribers, translating to a market share of 27.6 percent.
Although still significantly behind Safaricom, Airtel has steadily expanded its footprint through aggressive pricing strategies, improved network coverage and customer acquisition campaigns.
Meanwhile, Equitel, operated by Finserve, registered modest growth.
The operator increased its subscriber base to 1.51 million users, accounting for 1.8 percent of the market.
Jamii Telecommunications, which operates under the Faiba brand, maintained 883,944 subscribers, representing 1.1 percent of the market.
Telkom Kenya Suffers Subscriber Losses
Unlike its competitors, Telkom Kenya experienced a notable decline during the quarter.
The operator lost 160,464 subscribers, reducing its total customer base to 584,438 active subscriptions.
This translated to just 0.7 percent of the total market share.
The decline underscores the ongoing challenges facing Telkom as it struggles to compete against larger players with stronger infrastructure and broader service offerings.
Why Mobile Subscriptions Are Growing
According to the Communications Authority, the robust growth in mobile subscriptions was largely driven by customer win-back campaigns undertaken by mobile operators.
These initiatives encouraged former customers to reactivate their lines and return to their networks.
The regulator also cited several other factors sustaining growth, including:
- Falling smartphone and device costs.
- Expansion of high-speed mobile network infrastructure.
- Increased dependence on mobile services for economic activities.
- Growing use of digital platforms for social interaction and communication.
Kenya’s digital transformation continues to accelerate as more citizens embrace mobile technology.
Smartphones Overtake Feature Phones
The report also highlighted a major shift in consumer behavior.
Smartphones now account for 63.7 percent of all mobile devices connected to networks in Kenya.
This reflects a continued migration away from traditional feature phones as consumers seek access to internet-enabled services such as mobile banking, social media, e-commerce and online entertainment.
The trend has contributed significantly to rising data consumption across the country.
Mobile Broadband Usage Continues to Rise
As of March 31, 2026, Kenya had 62.6 million mobile broadband internet subscriptions.
Safaricom remained the dominant player in this segment with a market share of 62.7 percent.
However, this represented a slight decline from the 64.3 percent recorded in the previous quarter, suggesting increasing competition in mobile data services.
The growth in broadband subscriptions highlights the critical role internet connectivity now plays in education, work, business operations and access to government services.
Fixed Internet Competition Intensifies
In the fixed data market, Safaricom also maintained its leadership position with a 35.4 percent market share.
However, competition in this segment remains fierce.
Key challengers include:
- Jamii Telecommunications – 19.5%
- Wananchi Group – 10.4%
- Poa Internet Kenya – 9.7%
Smaller providers continue to serve niche markets and underserved regions.
Their market shares include:
- Ahadi Wireless – 9.2%
- Vilcom Network – 6.0%
- Mawingu Networks – 3.7%
- Starlink – 0.9%
The growing diversity of providers reflects rising demand for reliable home and business internet solutions.
Safaricom Dominates Mobile Money
Safaricom’s influence extends beyond telecommunications into financial services.
The company retained its overwhelming lead in mobile money subscriptions, commanding an 89.1 percent market share.
The mobile money segment expanded to 53.4 million active subscriptions during the quarter.
The figures reaffirm the central role of M-Pesa in Kenya’s economy, facilitating payments, savings, lending and money transfers for millions of users.
Voice and SMS Traffic Distribution
Domestic voice traffic remained heavily concentrated among the major operators.
The distribution was as follows:
- Safaricom – 64.96%
- Airtel – 34.88%
- Telkom – 0.07%
- Equitel – 0.05%
- Jamii – 0.04%
Safaricom’s dominance was even more pronounced in SMS traffic.
The market shares stood at:
- Safaricom – 93.96%
- Airtel – 6.01%
- Telkom – 0.01%
- Equitel – 0.01%
- Jamii – 0.0%
Kenya’s Digital Future
The latest Communications Authority data paints a picture of a rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape.
As smartphone adoption rises and digital services become increasingly essential, Kenya’s mobile sector continues to expand at an impressive pace.
While Safaricom remains the undisputed market leader across subscriptions, mobile money and internet services, competitors are intensifying efforts to capture greater market share.
With Safaricom now edging closer to the 60-million-subscriber milestone, the race to shape Kenya’s digital future is far from over.