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![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8127d573-388e-4540-a1a4-04178656ec15.png\")
Airtel Money Kenya managing director Anne Kinuthia-Otieno \/HANDOUT<\/b><\/p>\n
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\nAirtel Money Kenya managing director Anne Kinuthia-Otieno \/HANDOUT<\/b><\/p>\n
Airtel
\nMoney has hit double-digit market share for the first time, piling pressure on market leader Safaricom\u2019s M-Pesa, which has slipped below 90
\nper cent for the first time. <\/p>\n
Sector
\ndata for the first three months of the government year, compiled by the Communications Authority (CA), shows that Airtel Money’s market share extended its climb in the September 2025 quarter, reaching 10.3 per cent, a sustained growth noted since 2023.<\/p>\n
Safaricom\u2019s M-Pesa slipped
\nto 89.7 per cent, its first reading below 90 per cent, marking a shift in a
\nmarket long shaped by near-total dominance.<\/p>\n
M-Pesa\u2019s share has been
\nslipping from roughly 95 per cent in 2023 to about 90.8 per cent in early 2025,
\nwhile Airtel Money rose from about six per cent to 9.1 per cent on the back of
\nlower fees, wider agent coverage and aggressive pricing.<\/p>\n
Smaller platforms like
\nTelekom\u2019s T-Cash remain marginal at below a percentage.<\/p>\n
Overall, active mobile
\nmoney subscribers grew during the period under review to 47.7 million active
\nusers, a penetration rate of 91 per cent, up from 77.3 per cent a year earlier.<\/p>\n
The latest numbers point
\nto a market gradually shifting toward a two-provider structure, supported by
\ndeeper financial inclusion and broader economic integration of mobile-money
\nservices.<\/p>\n
Mobile money is deeply
\nembedded in Kenya\u2019s economy, with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data showing
\nthat it contributes to 6.59 per cent of the total national payments.<\/p>\n
The mode of payment has been rising as mobile phone
\npenetration rises, since M-Pesa services were unveiled in the country in 2007.<\/p>\n
Since then, monthly
\ntransaction value has also increased from Sh3.8 billion to Sh753.5 billion over
\nthe same period, peaking at Sh788.4 billion in 2023 before easing slightly in
\n2024.<\/p>\n
Transaction activity has
\ngrown even faster, with monthly mobile-money transactions rising from 1.3 million
\nin 2007 to 309 million in 2024.<\/p>\n
Latest data shows that the average
\ndaily transaction value reached Sh25.1 billion in 2024, up from only Sh125.7
\nmillion in 2007.<\/p>\n
Kenya\u2019s mobile market
\ncontinued to expand in the three months to September, with active SIM
\nsubscriptions rising 2.1 per cent to 78.3 million.<\/p>\n
The latest figures
\nfrom the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) point to sustained growth in
\nthe sector, supported by wider network rollout, increased device ownership, and
\nthe country\u2019s deepening reliance on mobile-driven digital services.<\/p>\n
\u201cMobile (SIM)
\nsubscriptions grew by 2.1 per cent to 78.3 million, marking a penetration rate
\nof 149.4 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe growth is mainly
\nattributed to the continued expansion of mobile networks and ever-growing
\ndemand for mobile services.\u201d<\/p>\n
The CA data shows
\nthat the uptick extends a trend observed in previous reporting periods.<\/p>\n
In the quarter ending
\nMarch 2025, subscriptions stood at about 76.7 million, while a year earlier
\nSeptember 2024, the figure was 70 million, reflecting consistent double-digit
\nannual growth.<\/p>\n
The penetration rate
\nof 149.4 per cent indicates that many Kenyans now maintain more than one active
\nSIM card, a pattern common in competitive mobile markets.<\/p>\n
Prepaid lines
\ncontinued to dominate, accounting for 98 per cent of all subscriptions,
\ncompared to just 2 per cent for postpaid, underscoring the price-sensitive
\nnature of mobile consumers.<\/p>\n
As operators continue
\nnetwork upgrades and expand 4G and 5G coverage, sector watchers expect
\nsubscription numbers to maintain their upward trajectory in the coming
\nquarters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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