Safaricom is facing growing public outrage after fresh revelations showed the telco quietly cut mobile data allocations for some of its most widely used bundles, effectively doubling the cost of browsing for millions of Kenyans. The changes, which were not publicly announced, began over the weekend and have triggered accusations of deception, corporate greed and abuse of market dominance.
A review of the telco’s revised packages shows that the popular No Expiry data bundles were hit hardest. Kenyans who previously received 255MB for Sh51 now get only 102MB, a reduction of more than 50 percent. Similarly, Sh100 now buys 200MB instead of the earlier allocations, with other price points also showing steep declines.
Subscribers discovered the changes only after topping up their accounts and receiving significantly smaller bundles, sparking an online uproar that has since grown into a national conversation.
Safaricom has not issued an official statement on why it altered the bundle structures. The company ignored formal queries from journalists, but on Sunday it responded to a customer on X, vaguely admitting to “an issue affecting the awarding of data bundles” and claiming a resolution was underway.
However, industry insiders argue there was no “issue” but a calculated move to squeeze more revenue from a captive market at a time when Safaricom’s data business is growing faster than all its other segments. According to the telco’s own half-year financial disclosures, mobile data revenues jumped 18.2 percent to Sh44.4 billion, overtaking voice for the first time.
Consumer advocacy groups say the manner in which the changes were implemented amounts to ambushing customers. Some have called for an urgent investigation by the Communications Authority, warning that if a dominant player can quietly alter prices without disclosure, then millions of consumers are left unprotected.
Safaricom’s defenders argue that global telcos are shifting to dynamic pricing models where data prices fluctuate based on demand, congestion or AI-driven usage patterns. But critics say even dynamic pricing must be transparent, not concealed.
The backlash comes at a time when competition in Kenya’s mobile data market remains weak. Safaricom controls 62.8 percent of the mobile broadband market and 34.3 percent of fixed internet subscriptions. Airtel, its fiercest rival, offers cheaper bundles on several fronts, including 1GB for Sh15 valid for one hour—nearly half Safaricom’s equivalent cost. Yet many Kenyans remain locked into Safaricom because of network strength and M-Pesa integration.
For now, millions feel shortchanged, and the silence from Safaricom is only fuelling anger. The telco’s attempt to bury one of the most drastic price changes in recent years may end up costing it more than the billions it hopes to recover through reduced data allocations.
Regulators are under pressure. Consumers are fuming. And Safaricom, once seen as the gold standard of corporate trust, is now battling a growing perception that it has become too powerful, too comfortable and too willing to push the limits at the expense of its customers.
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