Kenya SMS and mobile statistics: January to March 2026
Figures below are from the Communications Authority of Kenya's sector statistics for quarter 3 of the 2025/26 financial year (January to March 2026), published in June 2026, and from media reports of those statistics. We update this page as new quarters are published.
The numbers at a glance
| Measure | January to March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Active mobile subscriptions | 84.1 million (up 7.4% on the previous quarter) |
| Mobile penetration | 157.7% |
| Prepaid share of subscriptions | 96.5% |
| Mobile money subscriptions | 53.4 million |
| Smartphones among connected phones | 63.7% |
| Domestic SMS sent | 13.98 billion (down 2.7%) |
| SMS per subscriber per month | 55 (down from 61) |
| Safaricom share of SMS traffic | 93.96% |
Mobile subscriptions
Kenya had 84.1 million active mobile subscriptions at the end of March 2026, a penetration of 157.7%. Penetration is above 100% because many people have more than one SIM, for example one Safaricom line for M-PESA and another network for data or calls.
The base keeps growing. A year earlier, in April to June 2025, the CA counted 76.7 million subscriptions and 146.3% penetration. Almost all subscriptions (96.5%) are prepaid, and there were 53.4 million mobile money subscriptions.
Operator market share
Safaricom has about two-thirds of subscriptions but carries almost all SMS traffic. Figures are for January to March 2026, as reported from CA data.
| Operator | Subscriptions | Share of subscriptions | Share of SMS traffic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safaricom | 57.9 million | 68.9% | 93.96% |
| Airtel | 23.2 million | 27.6% | 6.01% |
| Equitel (Finserve) | 1.51 million | 1.8% | 0.01% |
| Jamii (Faiba) | 0.88 million | 1.1% | 0.0% |
| Telkom | 0.58 million | 0.7% | 0.01% |
SMS volumes and the trend
Kenyans still send about 14 billion domestic SMS a quarter, but the number is easing.
- Average SMS per subscriber per month fell from 61 to 55 between the two latest quarters.
- The CA does not publish a split between person-to-person SMS and business (application-to-person) SMS.
| Quarter | Domestic SMS | Reported change |
|---|---|---|
| April to June 2025 | 15.25 billion | Not stated |
| January to March 2026 | 13.98 billion | Down 2.7% |
Why SMS volumes are easing
The most likely reason is that everyday person-to-person chat is moving to apps such as WhatsApp, while the subscriber base keeps growing. Business messages, such as M-PESA confirmations, bank alerts and reminders, still depend on SMS because it works on every phone. Without a published split, this is an interpretation rather than a measured fact.
What this means for your business
- Your sender ID must be approved on Safaricom. With 94% of SMS traffic, Safaricom approval is what matters most for delivery.
- Do not assume everyone has WhatsApp. Over a third of connected phones are not smartphones, so SMS is still the one channel that reaches any phone, including feature phones.
- Use both channels. Send reminders and alerts by SMS, and handle conversations on WhatsApp.
- People get fewer personal texts, so a well-written business SMS stands out, but only if it is relevant and expected.
- Clean lists matter. With many people holding more than one SIM, check you have the number each customer actually uses for messages.
How to read these figures
- The CA reports by financial year, which runs from July to June. Quarter 3 of 2025/26 is January to March 2026.
- Subscriptions count active SIM cards, not people. Penetration above 100% means many people have more than one line.
- SMS figures are domestic messages carried by Kenyan networks. They include person-to-person and business messages together.
- Operator shares quoted here come from media reports of CA data. Check the CA's own quarterly report for the official tables.
Sources
- Communications Authority of Kenya, sector statistics for quarter 3 of FY 2025/26 (January to March 2026), press release of 17 June 2026: subscriptions, penetration, prepaid share, mobile money and smartphone figures.
- Citizen Digital, 19 June 2026, reporting CA figures: operator subscriptions and shares of SMS traffic.
- Streamline Feed, 18 June 2026, reporting CA figures: domestic SMS traffic and SMS per subscriber.
- HapaKenya, 25 September 2025, reporting CA figures for April to June 2025.