Amazon Leo Targets Kenya for Its First African Satellite Gateway
In a notice published in the Kenya Gazette on 5 June, the Communications Authority of Kenya confirmed that Amazon Kuiper Kenya Limited had applied for an International Gateway Operator licence.
Amazon has moved to establish its first satellite ground gateway in Kenya, filing for a licence that would deepen its push to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink across Africa.
In a notice published in the Kenya Gazette on 5 June, the Communications Authority of Kenya confirmed that Amazon Kuiper Kenya Limited had applied for an International Gateway Operator licence. The company is seeking a 15-year licence for its Amazon Leo satellite internet project, and the ground station is expected to improve internet speeds by reducing the distance data travels between satellites and users.
The filing builds on an earlier application. In late April, Amazon applied to the Authority for a Network Facilities Provider Tier 2 licence that would allow it to build and operate telecommunications infrastructure nationwide. The service was rebranded from Project Kuiper to Amazon Leo in November 2025, though the local subsidiary retains the Kuiper name.
The move positions Kenya as a lead market for Amazon’s African expansion, following a similar regulatory step in Nigeria. It sets up direct competition with Starlink, which entered Kenya in July 2023 and has grown to roughly 22,282 subscribers, about 0.9 per cent of the country’s fixed internet connections.
The Authority has opened the application to public comment for 30 days.
