Kenyan consumers using mobile or fixed lines are expected to witness reduced call charges after the Communications Authority published new termination rates for the next four years.
Effective March 1, 2026, telecommunication service providers are expected to gradually lower call termination rates from the current Ksh 0.41 per minute to a maximum of Ksh 0.37 per minute by February 28, 2027. This follows the expiry of the two years the current rate had been applied per the recommendations of the 2022 Telecommunications Network Cost Study, according to CA Director General David Mugonyi.
“Following the expiry of the termination rates on February 28, 2026, the Authority has established a glide path for a period of four (4) years, effective from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2030, which progressively transitions Kenya’s termination rates toward the cost-efficient levels in line with global trends,” said Mugonyi.
Telcos are expected to lower the Mobile Termination Rate (MTR) and Fixed Termination Rate to Ksh 0.35 by February 2028, Ksh 0.33 in 2029 and to Ksh 0.30 per minute by February 28, 2030.
Call termination charges involve the amount consumers on one network pay to connect to another network while making voice calls.
According to Mugonyi the interconnection is an essential component of telecommunication regulation as its pricing and access framework can be used as a barrier to entry and expansion, thereby impeding competition.
“Moreover, high interconnection rates are associated with high retail tariffs,which negatively impact affordability of ICT services and reduce consumer welfare,” he noted.
CA said the new rates considered the need to strike a balance between promotion and investment, consumer protection and the prevailing economic and market environment and regional and global best practices.
The authority said the new rate will affect local voice traffic, with operators also open to negotiating interconnection rates which are lower than the set cap.
Data by the CA indicates tha total domestic voice minutes stood at 29.9 billion with the average on-net and off-net call durations being 1.9 and 1.3 minutes, respectively.
Mugonyi said the authority will take further review of MTR/FTR after attaining Ksh 0.30 to ensure they are aligned with new and emerging issues, cost and competitive conditions.
