Airtel Kenya has officially crossed the 24 million customers mark after amassing 3.01 million SIM card subscribers in the first three months of 2025.

The milestone by the telecommunications services providers was confirmed in the latest sector statistics report by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

The data from CA indicates that Airtel closed Q1 in March 2025 with 24.5 million active SIM cards, significant increase from 21.4 recorded by the close of Q4 of in December 2024.

During the same period, Airtel’s biggest competitor Safaricom posted a 3.6 per cent rise in its subscriber base to 48.2 million, up from 46.6 per cent at the close of December 2024.

Airtel Kenya says the significant growth in its customer numbers is a reflection of the increasing public confidence in the firm and its improving services.

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The telco made the announcement during the launch of its ‘Na Bado Tunagrow’ network coverage campaign as it continues to execute its plans to spread to other parts of Kenya.

Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra lauded their customer saying the achievement was the result of the firm’s relentless effort and trust from customers.

“We are committed to Kenya, and whilst we have made huge investments, our mission of enriching lives and driving progress is still not done,” stated Malhotra.

Airtel has invested heavily in infrastructure, customer service, and digital platforms in recent years and aims to extend its signal reach to underserved regions, especially Northern Kenya.

The telecommunications company has also bolstered its mobile money platform to serve growing demand.

“With the recent upgrade of our Airtel Money platform, which brings speedy, reliable, and innovative services, we are seeing more Kenyans trusting us with their financial needs and we continue to improve as we promote financial inclusion,” he added.

In the period in review, the total subscribers by the five telcos in Kenya increased by 6.7 per cent in Q1 from 71.4 million to 76.2 million, surpassing Kenya’s total population numbers.

CA has listed the other telcos in Kenya as Equitel, Telkom, and Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL), with subscribers bases of 1.5 million, 1.2 million and 0.7 million respectively.