Telco Airtel Kenya subscriber base expanded by 24 percent or nearly five million new subscribers in the 12 months to March 31st, the latest industry data shows.

According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Airtel Kenya subscriber base has now hit 24.53 million up from 19.86 million customers reported during the comparable quarter in 2024.

At the same time, rivals Safaricom PLC and Jamii telkom also increased their subscriber base by 8 percent (3.57 million new customers) and 30 percent (165,792 new customers) respectively in the quarter ending March 31st, 2025.

CA's sector statistics shows that during the third quarter of the 2024/25 fiscal year, active mobile (SIM) subscriptions in Kenya grew by 6.7 per cent to close at 76.2 million translating to a penetration rate of 145.3 per cent. 

In comparison, all telco service providers in the country shared a total of 68,048,393 subscribers at March 31st, 2024.

 "This growth is attributed to the various customer win back campaigns run by the operators," CA's sector statistics report explains in part. 

“We are deeply humbled by the support of over 24 million customers who continue to believe in us. This is not the destination; it is part of a longer journey. We are committed to Kenya, and whilst we have made huge investments, our mission of enriching lives and driving progress is still not done,” said Airtel Kenya Managing Director, Ashish Malhotra during the launch of the ‘Na Bado Tunagrow’ network coverage campaign.

Mobile subscriptions landscape in Q3 FY2024/25 ~ source CA

Mobile subscriptions landscape in Q3 FY2023/24 ~ source CA

At the same time, the pace of growth in mobile money subscriptions surged by 7.3 per cent to close the quarter 45.4 million, translating to a penetration rate of 86.6 percent. "This growth is synonymous to the increase in active mobile (SIM) subscriptions," CA said.

“With the recent upgrade of our Airtel Money platform, which brings speedy, reliable, and innovative services, we are seeing more Kenyans trusting us with their financial needs and we continue to improve as we promote financial inclusion,” said Malhotra.

According to Airtel, courtesy of the rapid Airtel network expansion in the North Eastern region of the country last year, Kenyans in the underserved areas of Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa can now access connectivity and digital opportunities.

During the quarter under review, however, Telkom Kenya lost roughly 312,676 customers to close the period with 1.17 million customers.

Additionally, CA's analysis of minutes of use per call per pperator for the quarter shows that Airtel recorded the highest average on-net minutes/call at 2.9 in the industry with rival, Safaricom PLC and Jamii Telecommunications Ltd recording the highest off net minutes/call at 1.4.

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