Starlink Resumes Sign-ups in Nairobi After 7 Months
Elon Musk-owned satellite internet provider Starlink has resumed new subscriptions in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and surrounding counties.
The seven-month freeze began in November 2024 and affected areas such as Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado, and Murang’a. The provider said the suspension was in response to an overload in network capacity driven by increased demand in these areas.
“Nairobi and neighbouring areas are currently at network capacity. This means that too many users are trying to access the Starlink service within Nairobi, and there isn’t enough bandwidth to support additional residential or roaming customers now,” Starlink said while announcing the pause.
The temporary pause, it said, was a necessary step as it worked on expanding its capacity in the affected regions before resuming new sign-ups.
In January, Starlink inaugurated its second African ground station point of presence (PoP) in Nairobi to improve its network capacity. Previously, the only Starlink PoP presence on the continent was in Nigeria, limiting the network’s ability to cover the whole continent, including markets like Kenya.
This move dramatically increased network capacity and reduced latency for users in Kenya.
Since entering the Kenyan market, Starlink has recorded significant growth, doubling its market share in the three months leading up to September last year. According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Starlink’s market share rose from 0.5% in June to 1.1% in September last year, signalling strong demand and adoption among Kenyan internet users, especially in rural areas where traditional broadband options remain limited.
However, in the March 2025 quarter, Starlink’s active users in Kenya fell 10.8 percent to 17,066 from 19,146 at the end of last year. This reflects a net loss of 2,080 subscriptions.
The resumption of new subscriptions in Nairobi and the surrounding counties is expected to further accelerate Starlink’s footprint in Kenya.
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