Telkom Kenya’s Steep Decline: Subscriber Base Shrinks 40% as Network Woes Persist
Telkom Kenya has significantly faltered, losing its standing as the nation’s third-largest mobile operator. Recent data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) reveals a dramatic shift, with Finserve’s Equitel now surpassing Telkom following a period of persistent service disruptions, network outages, and a sustained exodus of subscribers. This decline highlights the critical importance of consistent service delivery and financial stability in Kenya’s highly competitive telecommunications sector.
The Impact of Network Failures and Mounting Debt
The CA’s findings for June 2025 paint a stark picture: Telkom’s active mobile subscriptions plummeted to a mere 868,788. This represents an alarming nearly 40% reduction from approximately 1.4 million subscribers just a year earlier. In contrast, Finserve’s Equitel has ascended to claim third place, boasting a robust 1.5 million subscriptions. The established market hierarchy remains with Safaricom leading overwhelmingly at 49.9 million users, followed by Airtel with 23.7 million. This substantial drop for Telkom underscores the severe repercussions of network failures in a market where operational scale directly translates to revenue and market relevance. The company’s struggles are a cautionary tale of how quickly a carrier can lose its footing when mounting debt converges with deteriorating service quality. The genesis of Telkom Kenya’s network woes can be traced back to 2023, when American Tower Corporation (ATC) disconnected nearly 900 of Telkom’s crucial masts. This drastic measure was a direct consequence of KES 7.1 billion ($55 million) in unpaid lease fees, triggering an immediate and widespread coverage collapse that alienated a significant portion of its user base.
Telkom Kenya’s current predicament serves as a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between maintaining robust infrastructure and managing financial obligations in the African tech landscape. To regain trust and market share, the operator faces an uphill battle, needing to address its core issues of network reliability and financial solvency. Without a stable and accessible network, customer loyalty, especially in a dynamic market like Kenya, remains fleeting.
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