KENYA’S ICT SECTOR CONTINUES TO EXPAND AS MOBILE, SMARTPHONE AND DIGITAL SERVICES GROW
By Jeff Kizzilah Digital Editor
Nairobi, September 21, 2026 — Kenya’s ICT sector continued its expansion during the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, with growth recorded across mobile subscriptions, mobile data, smartphones, mobile money, fixed internet and digital services.
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Fourth Quarter Sector Statistics Report, mobile SIM subscriptions increased by 4.6% to 88.0 million, while mobile data subscriptions rose by 2.6% to 64.3 million. Mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 3.9% to 54.9 million, highlighting continued demand for faster internet connectivity.
The number of smartphones in use also increased by 4.2% to 52.3 million, reflecting a continued shift towards higher-speed digital connectivity and internet-based communication.
The mobile-money sector recorded continued growth, with subscriptions reaching 54.01 million by June 2026, representing 13.2% year-on-year growth. Mobile-money penetration stood at 101.3%.
However, the number of registered mobile-money agents declined by 5.6% quarter-on-quarter, falling from 602,470 to 568,463 agents.
Airtel Money Gains Market Share
The report also highlights increased market share for Airtel Money, which rose from 10.9% in Q3 FY2025/26 to 11.1% in Q4.
The report attributes the growth to efforts aimed at expanding access, convenience and the range of services available to customers. These include partnerships and integrations with financial institutions such as Absa Bank and KCB, supporting services including Paybill and merchant payments, bank-to-wallet and wallet-to-bank transfers, and cross-network transactions.
Airtel Money has also focused on affordability and financial inclusion, including free transfers between Airtel Money subscribers and lower-cost transfers to other service providers.
The company is further strengthening its digital experience and security, including efforts to revamp the My Airtel App to facilitate seamless transactions across networks.
The latest sector statistics underline Kenya’s continued transition towards a more connected digital economy, with smartphones, broadband, mobile data and mobile-money services playing an increasingly important role in everyday communication and financial transactions.
