Safaricom has announced a 25% discount on all new business fiber connections for the next two months, in a strategic move to protect its dominance in Kenya’s fixed broadband market and capture more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The offer, unveiled at a Nairobi business forum on Monday, targets firms in fiber-ready buildings and comes amid mounting competition from both terrestrial and satellite internet providers.
Under the revised rates, Safaricom’s entry-level 15 Mbps plan drops to KES 2,249 per month from KES 2,999, while the 100 Mbps top-tier package now costs KES 4,724, down from KES 6,299.
The telco, which serves 678,118 fixed-internet customers and controls a 36.5% market share, is also bundling the offer with business credit products to give SMEs more payment flexibility.
According to industry insiders, Safaricom’s decision is a response to shifting market dynamics. Satellite internet provider Starlink, once touted as a major disruptor, has seen its Kenyan user base shrink to about 17,000 in March 2025, down from roughly 19,000 months earlier, amid complaints of network congestion.
While Starlink has since installed new ground stations near Nairobi to boost capacity, the slowdown has given Safaricom an opportunity to win over undecided customers.
In addition, fiber competitors such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Jamii Telecom have been making aggressive plays for the SME segment with bundled services and promotional rates.
Liquid Intelligent Technologies 15 Mbps business plan typically costs around KES 2,999, while Jamii Telecom offers competitive packages starting at KES 2,500.
Safaricom’s temporary price cut now positions it below both rivals at the entry level, giving it a stronger appeal to cost-conscious businesses.
Market Implications
By undercutting competitors, Safaricom is signalling that it intends to defend its market share while expanding its fiber footprint.
The addition of credit facilities is also a differentiator, allowing SMEs to adopt faster internet without heavy upfront costs.
With Kenya’s digital economy growing and more businesses moving operations online, reliable and affordable broadband is becoming a critical enabler.
Safaricom’s pricing strategy suggests it is betting on long-term customer retention over short-term margins, especially as satellite-based services face reliability challenges and fiber rivals ramp up their offerings.
If the promotion succeeds in attracting significant sign-ups, it could push other ISPs to introduce similar discounts, intensifying competition in a market already in flux.
