Questions have emerged over the status of Airtel Kenya’s licence a month after the telecoms operator said it had received a 25-year permit, with new disclosures by the regulator showing it is still awaiting approval.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) said in a August 28 gazette notice that Airtel Kenya’s applications for a network provider permit and a satellite provider authorisation were still subject to public submissions until September 28, after which the regulator can make a decision.
It comes a month after Airtel Kenya's managing director, Djibril Tobe, said the CA had offered the company a 25-year permit after paying an undisclosed fee, ending uncertainty over its operations.
Previously, the two operators had paid Sh2.3 billion for 10-year permits each. Safaricom did not disclose the amount paid for its licence renewal, but the telco’s financials for the year ended March 2026 showed it spent Sh16.3 billion on licences in Kenya during the period.
The two companies were granted temporary two-year operating licences in late 2024, pending agreement on fees, spectrum allocation and penalties for service outages. Airtel has been operating under the temporary permit since.
The CA’s latest disclosures show that the telco seeks Network Facilities Provider Tier 1 (NFPT1) and International Gateway Systems and Services (IGSS). The NFPT1 permit authorises telcos to deploy communication infrastructure countrywide, including data centres.
The IGSS, meanwhile, was recently introduced for satellite internet providers, broadcasters, and telcos using satellite technology.
Safaricom has both permits.
“Airtel Networks Kenya Limited has, pursuant to the provisions of the Kenya Information and Communications Act Cap. 411A, made applications to the Communications Authority of Kenya for grant of the (NFPT1 and International Gateway Systems and Services) licences as shown,” the CA said.
In August, Mr Tobe said the company secured a 25-year licence and was waiting for the final administrative steps towards securing the satellite service permit, due “within weeks.”
“I am pleased to tell you that we have successfully renewed our licence for another 25 years, which assures us that we are here to stay,” Mr Tobe said.
Over the past decade, the company has been locked in a dispute with the regulator over its licence, which initially expired in 2015.
The company has been operating under a permit it inherited from YuMobile, a rival operator it bought in 2014 after the firm exited the Kenyan market. Airtel later inked an out-of-court deal with the regulator in 2022, which triggered the renewal of its expired licence from 2015 to 2025, before it got the temporary permit, valid through January 2027.
Airtel has partnered with US firm SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s direct satellite-to-mobile service across its 14 African markets, providing supplemental coverage to extend wireless networks to remote areas.
Airtel Kenya in May said it had conducted pilots for the service in Kenya and was awaiting CA approval for a complete rollout.
“All the requirements in terms of security, in terms of customer satisfaction, process, and maintenance have been satisfied. It’s now a matter of administrative procedures, but we are very confident that within weeks, the CA should be coming to us with our approval,” Mr Tobe said last month.
Both the NFPT1 and IGSS permits are valid for a minimum of 15 years or a longer option of 25 years.
Operators pay multiple fees for the licences, including annual charges.
In February, the CA told the Business Daily that it was reviewing Airtel’s satellite service, looking to curb potential interference with mobile phone networks. The rollout would mark the first time Kenya authorises a satellite operator collaborating with a wireless carrier to provide supplemental telecommunications coverage from space.
“Airtel has submitted a formal application for consideration by the Authority, which is currently being reviewed,” the regulator said then. Satellite internet regulation was first proposed in December 2024 amid heightened scrutiny following Starlink’s entry into the Kenyan market.
Starlink, owned by the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, emerged as a potential threat to Safaricom, which in 2024 petitioned the CA to withdraw the licence granted to the American firm, citing risks of illegal connections and network disruption.
Safaricom has since softened its stance and also plans to use Starlink’s network to expand coverage in remote areas by integrating satellite technology into its mobile network.
