Mobile money subscriptions in Kenya have soared to 47.72 million active users, driven by financial technology activity and a growing preference for digital transactions.
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya Fourth Quarter Sector Statistics Report of 2024/2025, mobile money subscriptions rose by 5.2pc between April and June 2025.
The report’s shows that mobile money subscriptions penetration rate stands at 91pc, affirming the critical role of mobile money platforms, such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and Equitel in transforming the country’s financial services landscape.
CA says this increase was mainly driven by the growing demand to close the gaps on financial inclusion, especially among the unbanked.
During the same period, Kenya’s SIM card subscriptions expanded by 1% to 76.6 million, while mobile phone connections hit 73.3 million devices, of which over 43 million are smartphones.
Feature phones declined by 9.5pc from 32.6 million to 29.5 million devices. At the same time, the number of mobile money agents rose 9.2pc to 453,480.
M-Pesa, operated by Safaricom, continues to lead the market with a stronghold of more than 90pc market share. Its widespread agent network, seamless integrations, and reputation for reliability make it the go-to option for most Kenyans.
However, competitors like Airtel Money and Equitel are slowly gaining ground. Airtel has seen growth thanks to aggressive marketing, fee-free transfers, and improved service offerings.
Mobile data subscriptions surged to a record 58.6 million by the end of the quarter, with 4G constituting 58.1pc.
The adoption of 4G and 5G technologies has continued to grow, mainly influenced by the growing demand for high-speed internet for activities such as streaming, online learning, remote work, and e-commerce.
