Safaricom Leads Quality Rankings as Telecom Performance Slips
By Peace Muthoka
NAIROBI, April 2, 2026 — The Communications Authority of Kenya has ranked Safaricom PLC as the country’s top mobile network in quality, reliability and consistency, according to its latest Quality-of-Service (QoS) report for the 2024–2025 financial year.
The regulator says Safaricom recorded an overall QoS score of 89.72 percent, well above the 80 percent compliance threshold. Airtel Kenya followed with 81.14 percent, while Telkom Kenya lagged at 52.76 percent, below the required standard.
The assessment is based on a framework introduced in 2017 that evaluates operators through end-to-end testing, network performance and customer experience. In the 2024–2025 review, the Authority combined technical data with customer feedback to provide a more comprehensive picture of industry performance.
Safaricom dominated key indicators, scoring 90.36 percent in end-to-end network quality. Airtel Kenya posted 76.47 percent, while Telkom Kenya trailed at 47.94 percent.
In customer satisfaction, Safaricom recorded 70.0 percent, slightly ahead of Airtel Kenya’s 68.4 percent and Telkom Kenya’s 60.0 percent. Both Safaricom and Airtel Kenya achieved a perfect 100 percent score in network performance, compared to Telkom Kenya’s 60 percent.
The report also highlights regional consistency. Safaricom met performance targets in all five regions assessed, while Airtel Kenya met targets in two regions. Telkom Kenya failed to meet targets in any of the regions.
The Authority notes that Safaricom’s results were independently verified, reflecting continued investment in network infrastructure and service delivery.
However, the report points to a steady decline in overall industry performance over the past four years, driven by rising data demand and increased pressure on network systems.
Even so, Safaricom maintained strong performance and posted the highest quality of experience score at 70.0 percent, as customer satisfaction across the sector continues to decline.
The findings position Safaricom as the only operator delivering consistently strong performance nationwide, setting the pace for Kenya’s telecommunications sector as competitors face mounting pressure to improve service quality.
