Proposed Internet Billing Law Could Change How Kenyans Pay for Fibre

A proposal before Parliament could change how many Kenyans pay for home internet. The Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2025 would require internet service providers (ISPs) to bill customers according to the amount of data they consume rather than relying on fixed-rate packages.

The proposal comes at a time when Kenya’s fixed broadband market is becoming more competitive. More households are subscribing to fibre internet, operators are extending coverage beyond traditional high-income neighbourhoods, and broadband has become a routine utility for work, education, entertainment and connected devices. Against that backdrop, the Bill raises broader questions about pricing, consumer protection and the future of unlimited internet packages.

What the Kenya Metered Internet Billing Bill Proposes

The Bill, sponsored by Aldai MP Marianne Jebet Kitany, seeks to amend the Kenya Information and Communications Act by making consumption-based internet billing mandatory for ISPs.

Under the proposal, providers would be required to deploy billing systems capable of monitoring customer internet usage, converting that information into readable consumption records and generating invoices based on actual data consumed.

According to the Bill’s memorandum, the objective is to protect consumers from unfair billing practices and safeguard their economic interests in line with Article 46 of the Constitution, which guarantees consumer rights.

The proposal also requires providers to align billing with the value customers derive from different internet services rather than relying solely on fixed monthly packages.

The legislation has not yet become law. It must complete the parliamentary process before any changes could take effect.

Why the Proposal Has Emerged Now

The Bill arrives as Kenya’s broadband market continues to expand.

Communications Authority data shows fixed internet subscriptions reached approximately 2.66 million during the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year after adding nearly 196,000 new connections in three months. Fibre remains the largest fixed broadband technology, while providers continue investing in network expansion and higher-capacity infrastructure.

Competition has also accelerated over the past several months.

Safaricom has refreshed its Home Fibre packages with higher speeds, Zuku has doubled speeds across several plans without increasing prices, Faiba has introduced more affordable entry-level packages, while newer providers such as Savanna Fibre and Airtel have entered the market with competitive offers aimed at attracting new subscribers. Providers are competing on price, speed, coverage and service quality as they seek a larger share of Kenya’s growing home broadband market.

That market environment provides important context for the proposed legislation. Parliament is debating a new pricing model just as providers are investing heavily to attract customers through more competitive fibre packages.

How Kenya’s Broadband Market Has Changed

Home internet is no longer used only for occasional web browsing.

A single household connection may support video streaming, remote work, online learning, cloud backups, software updates, gaming consoles, smart televisions and connected security systems throughout the day.

Those usage patterns have helped drive demand for fixed monthly packages that allow customers to remain connected without monitoring every gigabyte consumed.

Broadband infrastructure has also expanded to support that demand.

The Communications Authority reports that available international internet bandwidth continued to grow during the latest quarter, reflecting ongoing investment in network capacity as operators prepare for higher traffic volumes.

The way providers compete has also evolved. Recent product launches and pricing changes have largely centred on delivering faster speeds or more value at existing price points rather than introducing usage-based charging. If the Bill becomes law, providers may have to rethink not only how they bill customers but also how they design and market broadband packages.

What Usage-Based Billing Could Mean for Consumers

The Bill does not prescribe how providers would price internet services if mandatory metered billing becomes law.

That leaves several practical questions unanswered.

Consumers who use relatively small amounts of data each month could benefit if they pay only for what they consume.

Heavy users, however, may face higher monthly costs if pricing moves away from unlimited or fixed-rate packages.

The proposal also leaves uncertainty around products that dominate Kenya’s home broadband market today.

It is not yet clear whether unlimited fibre packages would disappear, continue alongside metered options or be redesigned to comply with the new law.

Existing customer contracts, promotional offers and business broadband services are also not addressed in the Bill’s current wording.

Those details would have significant implications for households and businesses that depend on stable, predictable internet costs.

Questions the Bill Leaves Unanswered

While the memorandum argues that mandatory metered billing will protect consumers, it provides limited evidence explaining why the current pricing model requires legislative intervention.

Kenya’s broadband market has expanded through competition among providers offering different speeds, pricing structures and service bundles.

The Bill does not explain:

• What specific consumer harm mandatory metered billing is intended to address.
• Whether regulators have identified widespread problems with existing fixed-rate packages.
• How disputes over measured data usage would be handled.
• Whether providers would retain flexibility to offer unlimited products.
• What impact the proposal could have on broadband adoption.

Those questions are likely to feature prominently as the proposal moves through Parliament.

Industry stakeholders, consumer organisations and telecommunications regulators may also seek to clarify how the legislation would operate in practice.

What Happens Next in Parliament

As a private member’s Bill, the proposal must pass each stage of the legislative process before becoming law.

Parliament may amend the Bill, retain its current provisions or reject it altogether following committee review and debate.

If enacted, the legislation would represent one of the most significant changes to Kenya’s fixed internet pricing model in recent years.

For consumers, the discussion extends beyond billing systems.

It touches on how broadband is priced, how value is measured and whether Kenya’s internet market should continue to rely primarily on fixed monthly packages or move toward charging customers according to the data they consume.

Until Parliament reaches a decision, home broadband services will continue operating under existing pricing models. The debate has also arrived at a time when providers are competing more aggressively than ever to win new fibre subscribers, adding another layer to Parliament’s consideration of how internet services should be priced in Kenya.

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