Kenya’s ICT Sector Expands in Q3 as Mobile and Internet Uptake Rise
The regulator said the growth reflects expanding network infrastructure, increased device availability, and rising digital adoption across the country, but warned that the spike in cyber threats highlights the need for stronger security measures.
Kenya’s ICT sector recorded robust growth in the third quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year, with major gains in mobile, internet, and broadcasting services, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
Between January and March 2025, active mobile subscriptions rose 6.7% to 76.16 million, pushing penetration to 145.3%. Mobile money subscriptions grew 7.2% to 45.36 million, while mobile data subscriptions increased 1.9% to 57.17 million. Broadband subscriptions reached 44.44 million, driven by demand for faster 4G and 5G connections.
Smartphone connections climbed to 42.35 million, while feature phones reached 32.57 million. Voice traffic rose to 28.88 billion minutes, with SMS traffic hitting 14.32 billion messages.
Fixed internet subscriptions grew 8.1% to 1.86 million, boosted by a 13.9% rise in terrestrial wireless connections and a 6.1% increase in fibre optic uptake. However, satellite subscriptions dropped 9.9%, mainly due to reduced Starlink usage.
Broadcasting services recorded a 1.5% increase in total subscriptions to 6.28 million, with cable TV showing the highest growth at 31.5%.
The quarter also saw a sharp rise in cyber activity, with detected cyber threats surging 201.7% to 2.54 billion, led by system vulnerabilities. The CA issued 13.23 million advisories, up 14.2% from the previous quarter.
The regulator said the growth reflects expanding network infrastructure, increased device availability, and rising digital adoption across the country, but warned that the spike in cyber threats highlights the need for stronger security measures.
