By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, June 18, 2026 - Users of satellite internet service Starlink in Kenya are experiencing slower connection speeds as the rapid growth of subscribers continues to strain the company's network capacity, intensifying competition with traditional internet service providers.
Data from internet analytics firm Ookla shows that Starlink's average download speeds in Kenya have fallen significantly from more than 200 megabits per second (Mbps) when the service launched in mid-2023 to about 47 Mbps in the first quarter of 2025.
The performance decline comes despite the satellite internet provider's aggressive expansion in the Kenyan market, where it quickly gained popularity among households, businesses and users in underserved areas seeking alternatives to fibre and fixed wireless services.
According to the latest figures from the Communications Authority of Kenya, Starlink's subscriber growth has slowed sharply following network congestion challenges that forced the company to suspend new sign-ups in Nairobi and neighbouring counties in late 2024.
The company added just 3,136 new users in 2025, pushing its market share down to 0.9% from 1.1% a year earlier, even as Kenya's broader fixed internet market expanded rapidly.
Starlink had previously frozen new subscriptions in Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado and Murang'a counties after surging demand overwhelmed available network capacity.
Users would later begin reporting declining speeds and increased latency, eroding the premium experience that had initially distinguished Starlink from fibre and fixed wireless alternatives.
The slowdown marks a turning point for the satellite internet provider, which entered the Kenyan market in June 2023 promising high-speed connectivity for areas underserved by terrestrial networks.
The rapid uptake was initially driven by demand from homes, businesses and institutions seeking reliable internet connections beyond the reach of fibre infrastructure. However, the satellite-based model has faced challenges in handling concentrated urban demand.
"Satellite internet subscriptions dropped by 9.9% compared to quarter two of the 2024/25 financial year, a decline attributed to the drop in subscriptions of the Low Earth Orbit satellite Internet provided by Starlink Internet Services Kenya," the Communications Authority said in its quarterly statistics bulletin.
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Despite the performance concerns, Starlink remains dominant within Kenya's satellite internet segment, accounting for approximately 97 per cent of all satellite broadband subscriptions in the country.
The company has since increased its bandwidth capacity in Kenya, contributing to a 32.7% rise in the country's total satellite internet capacity, from 34 million gigabits per second to 45 million gigabits per second by the end of March 2025.
Industry analysts note that while fibre networks offer greater scalability and more consistent speeds in densely populated areas, satellite internet retains a competitive advantage in remote and sparsely populated regions where deploying terrestrial infrastructure remains costly and logistically challenging.
The competitive landscape is also set to intensify after Amazon selected Kenya as the location for its first African satellite ground station under Project Kuiper, setting the stage for a direct challenge to Starlink in the country's fast-growing broadband market.
Market leaders continue to strengthen their position. Safaricom remains Kenya's largest fixed internet provider with a 34.9% market share, followed by Jamii Telecommunications and Zuku.
For consumers, the latest developments underscore the evolving nature of Kenya's internet market, where the race to expand connectivity is increasingly being shaped by the balance between innovation, affordability and network capacity.