Kenya’s digital transformation continues to gain momentum, with the latest Sector Statistics Report by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) revealing a remarkable increase in the uptake of mobile, broadband, and digital services in the 2024/2025 financial year.
According to the report covering April to June 2025, the growth was driven by a combination of improved infrastructure, competitive pricing, and growing demand for digital services.
The rollout of mobile cellular networks saw 4G and 5G coverage rise to 97.3 per cent and 30 per cent of the population, respectively.
Additionally, the deployment of 2,275 kilometres of fibre optic cable under the Digital Superhighway project, implemented in collaboration with the ICT Authority, significantly enhanced broadband connectivity. The increased uptake of digital services was also influenced by wider societal trends, including the rising use of e-services, social and financial inclusion efforts, and a continued shift from feature phones to smartphones.
What is Kenya’s smartphone penetration?
Smartphone penetration reached 83.5 per cent by June 2025, broadening internet access and boosting data consumption nationwide. Mobile data continues to dominate Kenya’s internet landscape.
As of June 30, 2025, total data subscriptions had grown to 58.5 million, marking a 27.3 per cent increase from 52.5 million the previous year. Of these, 78.2 per cent were on mobile broadband, with 4G services accounting for a dominant 81.2 per cent of broadband subscriptions.
Data usage by 4G and 5G subscribers saw significant growth, while usage on 3G networks declined, reflecting a shift toward faster and more reliable internet services. Kenya’s mobile penetration reached new highs, with 73.2 million mobile devices connected to the network, translating to a penetration rate of 139.7 per cent. This includes both smartphones and feature phones, with the latter still accounting for 56.2 per cent of the market.
Domestic voice traffic also experienced an uptick, reaching 111.6 billion minutes in 2024/25, a 16.5 per cent rise from the 95.8 billion minutes recorded the previous year. Similarly, SMS traffic climbed 6.5 per cent to 15.25 billion messages in the fourth quarter, contributing to an annual total of 57.3 billion messages.
Which Kenyan network has the longest average on-net call duration
Airtel customers recorded the longest average on-net call duration at 3.1 minutes, while Jamii Telecom had the highest average off-net call duration at 1.7 minutes.
Average minutes of use per subscription per month increased slightly from 126.5 to 126.8 in the last quarter of the financial year, while SMS use rose from 62.7 to 66.3 messages per subscriber. Mobile service operators generated KSh. 425.5 billion in revenue during 2024, a 10.7 per cent increase from KSh. 384.3 billion in 2023.
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the growth reflects Kenya’s deepening reliance on mobile and internet services for economic and social activities.
The report also highlighted a sharp rise in cyber threats, with 4.6 billion threats detected in the reference period, an 80.8 per cent increase from the previous quarter.
As a result, cyber advisories rose by 30.6 per cent. The surge was largely attributed to enhanced surveillance capabilities following upgrades to the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team (National KE-CIRT) tools.
The Authority noted that Kenya’s ongoing digital transformation is being propelled by affordable smart devices, improved network infrastructure, and the growing integration of online services in daily life. From e-commerce to e-government platforms, the internet is increasingly becoming a lifeline for socio-economic development.
