Starlink Hits a Rough Patch in Kenya After Rapid Rise
For the first time since launching, it recorded a drop in its subscriber base.
Starlink made waves when it launched in Kenya back in mid-2023, quickly positioning itself as a promising solution for underserved areas hungry for fast, reliable internet.
Demand was so strong that, by late 2024, the company had to pause new sign-ups altogether. But now, the effects of that pause have caught up. For the first time since launching, Starlink Kenya has recorded a drop in its subscriber base, losing over 2,000 users between December 2024 and March 2025, a 10.86% decline.
That dip brought the company’s total user base down from 19,146 to 17,066, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya. While Starlink had hoped to manage congestion during its seven-month signup freeze, the strategy seems to have backfired. The delay not only slowed momentum, but it also left early adopters frustrated. Many had spent over KES 45,000 (~$348) on the hardware and were forced to wait months for access.
Louis Eriakha
Starlink finally resumed activations a few weeks ago, supported by the launch of a Nairobi ground station in January 2025 to improve network capacity. But by then, the damage had already been done. Customers began to drop off, and competition took advantage. Safaricom, Kenya’s largest ISP, gained 56,969 new fixed internet users in the same period. Jamii Telecommunications added another 12,663. Even Dimension Data Solutions climbed past Starlink in the rankings, now holding 18,890 subscribers.
While Starlink slipped from seventh to eighth place among fixed ISPs, its market share dropped from 1.0% to 0.9%, an 18.8% decline in market share. Meanwhile, Safaricom now commands over a third of the fixed broadband market, thanks to aggressive price cuts.
Its 5G home routers are as cheap as KES 3,000 ($23), compared to Starlink’s bulky hardware, which still sells at more than 10x the price. Monthly plans are also cheaper, with Safaricom offering 50 Mbps for just KES 4,000 ($31), compared to Starlink’s KES 6,500 (~$50) for higher but less consistent speeds.
The excitement around Starlink hasn’t fully fizzled; it still dominates Kenya’s satellite internet market. But sustaining growth won’t be easy. Competitors are adapting fast, and frustrated users are voting with their wallets. The restart button has been pressed, but the climb back won’t be automatic.
