Amazon, a tech giant owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is seeking regulatory approval to enter Kenya’s satellite broadband market, setting up a direct challenge to Elon Musk’s SpaceX service, Starlink, as competition intensifies in low Earth orbit connectivity.
- •The company’s local unit, Kuiper Kenya Limited, has applied to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) for a Network Facilities Provider Tier 2 licence, a category that would permit it to build and operate satellite infrastructure and offer broadband services directly to consumers.
- •The filing marks a concrete step in Amazon’s plan to roll out Amazon Leo (original codename: Project Kuiper), a satellite constellation of more than 3,200 spacecraft expected to be fully deployed over the coming years.
- •Kenya is emerging as an early African foothold in Amazon Leo’s global deployment strategy, reflecting the country’s growing importance as a test bed for satellite-based connectivity in underserved regions.
In February, officials from the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy led by Principal Secretary John Tanui, held talks with Amazon representatives headed by Farouk Shamas Jiwa to explore how low Earth orbit satellite systems could extend broadband access to underserved areas.
The discussions aligned with Kenya’s broader digital strategy to expand connectivity, improve e-government services and deepen internet penetration, while also reflected Amazon’s growing push into African markets following regulatory inroads in Nigeria and partnerships aimed at rural coverage.
In Kenya, satellite internet users are relatively less than those using terrestrial connections but numbers have been growing and interest has been sustained. Due to aggressive marketing and incentives in 2024, Starlink scaled and now has over 22,000 subscribers, according to CA data.
Amazon is expected to compete on both performance and pricing, with Amazon Leo targeting speeds of up to 400 Mbps, broadly in line with the upper range of Starlink’s capabilities, though typical user speeds today remain significantly lower. As with its rival, the company is likely to rely on customer terminal kits for direct satellite access, making hardware affordability and payment flexibility critical factors in a price-sensitive market.
Regulatory approval would place Kenya among the first African countries to formally clear Project Kuiper for operations, alongside Nigeria, where Amazon has already secured landing rights.
