Kenya’s mobile money market continued to expand in the quarter ended June 2026, with subscriptions reaching 54.0 million, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya’s fourth quarter sector statistics report for the 2025/26 financial year. The figure represents a 13.2 per cent increase year-on-year and puts mobile money penetration at 101.3 per cent.
Within the growing market, Airtel Money increased its share from 10.9 per cent in the third quarter to 11.1 per cent in the fourth quarter. The company has been expanding its mobile money ecosystem through partnerships with financial institutions including Absa Bank and KCB, alongside Paybill and merchant payments, bank-to-wallet and wallet-to-bank transfers, and cross-network transactions.
Affordability has also featured in Airtel Money’s strategy, with transfers between Airtel Money subscribers offered free of charge and transfers to other service providers available at lower costs. The company has also invested in its digital experience and security, including a revamp of the My Airtel App to support transactions across networks.
The wider ICT sector also recorded growth during the period. Mobile SIM subscriptions rose 4.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 88.0 million, mobile data subscriptions increased 2.6 per cent to 64.3 million, while smartphone uptake grew 4.2 per cent to 52.3 million.
