Safaricom opens nine new number prefixes as Kenya’s mobile market keeps expanding
Safaricom has introduced nine new number prefixes in Kenya, giving customers access to additional mobile number ranges as the telecommunications company expands the pool of numbers available on its network. The new prefixes are 0118, 0119, 0140, 0141, 0142, 0143, 0180, 0181 and 0182, and Safaricom says customers can obtain numbers from its shops and authorised dealer outlets across the country.
The new ranges became available on August 10, 2026, adding to the 01XX ranges already used alongside Kenya’s more familiar 07XX mobile numbers. For customers looking for a new Safaricom line, the immediate change is simple: there are now more number ranges from which new lines can be issued.
The nine new Safaricom prefixes
Safaricom announced the ranges on Monday, saying the new numbers give customers more options for staying connected. Customers interested in obtaining one can visit a Safaricom Shop or authorised dealer outlet and enquire about availability.
The introduction of new prefixes does not create a separate class of Safaricom service. A customer issued an 0118, 0142 or 0181 number remains on the same Safaricom network and can access the operator’s mobile services in the same way as customers with existing number ranges.
Why Safaricom needs new number ranges
The new prefixes come as Safaricom continues to operate at considerable scale in Kenya’s mobile market. The company has reported 57.9 million mobile subscriptions and a 68.9% share of Kenya’s mobile market, while mobile broadband consumption has continued to rise.
TechTrendsKE reported earlier this month that mobile broadband users consumed more than 800 million GB of data during the first quarter of 2026, a 6% increase from the previous quarter. Average monthly usage reached 15.1GB per subscription, while 5G subscribers averaged 53.5GB per month.
That growth creates several different capacity requirements for a telecommunications operator. More data consumption requires network infrastructure capable of carrying additional traffic, while a large and active customer base also requires sufficient numbering resources for new mobile lines.
The two forms of capacity should not be confused. Safaricom’s planned network expansion addresses coverage and the ability to carry mobile traffic, while the new prefixes expand the numbering space available for issuing telephone numbers.
The numbering expansion therefore arrives alongside a separate infrastructure programme announced by Safaricom earlier in August. The company plans to construct 300 additional network sites after deploying an initial 200, taking that latest rollout to 500 sites. Safaricom said the first phase improved connectivity in areas that had previously experienced limited coverage.
New numbers arrive as Safaricom expands mobile usage
The numbering announcement is part of a wider period of investment in Safaricom’s mobile services. Alongside the additional network sites, the company has enhanced selected data bundles, including increasing its KSh20 package from 100MB to 250MB without changing the price.
Safaricom Chief Consumer Business Officer Fawzia Ali said the company reviewed how customers were using mobile internet before enhancing its standard bundles. Students, content creators and other users were among the groups identified as relying on mobile connectivity for productive activities, while the company also planned more consumer education around applications that consume data in the background.
That combination matters because giving customers more data can encourage heavier use of the network. Additional infrastructure then becomes important for maintaining coverage and service quality as more people rely on mobile internet for work, education, entertainment, payments and other digital services.
The new number ranges address another part of that growing ecosystem. Before a customer can use mobile data, M-PESA or other digital services attached to a mobile line, there must first be a valid mobile identity within the operator’s numbering system.
A mobile number is more than a way to receive calls
The arrival of new prefixes also highlights how much more important the mobile number has become in Kenya’s digital economy.
A phone number is personal data, and its role extends well beyond calls and SMS. TechTrendsKE’s recent reporting on customer data protection noted that a mobile number can become part of a much wider digital identity when it is connected to services such as M-PESA, account verification and customer support. The same reporting examined how organisations are expected to collect only the information required for a legitimate purpose and limit unnecessary exposure of personal information.
That makes the introduction of new numbers relevant from a privacy perspective as well. A newly issued mobile line may eventually become associated with financial transactions, digital accounts, communications and other personal information, so customers should treat the number as part of their wider digital identity rather than as an ordinary string of digits.
Safaricom has already taken steps to reduce how much customer information is unnecessarily exposed during digital transactions. Its M-PESA P2P data-minimisation feature masks part of a customer’s phone number after eligible transfers, while additional information can be requested through a verification process in which the sender decides whether to grant access.
The change was designed to address a practical privacy problem: customers could previously find themselves contacted by people they had paid through M-PESA, including service providers or other people they did not know personally. Reducing routine exposure of the full number limits the amount of personal information available to the recipient while preserving the ability to verify information when there is a legitimate need.
The new prefixes also bring account-security considerations
A mobile number can also form part of the security chain protecting digital accounts. TechTrendsKE’s recent examination of how customers can keep their M-PESA accounts secure found that Safaricom uses several layers of protection, including stronger authentication, SIM verification and additional checks for sensitive transactions. If a SIM is removed and reinserted, for example, My OneApp can require the customer to authenticate again before access is restored.
That matters because control of a mobile number can have consequences beyond receiving calls. SIM-swap fraud can allow criminals to transfer a number to a SIM under their control, potentially intercepting one-time passwords or attempting to gain access to accounts linked to the number. Safaricom has therefore encouraged customers to use authorised outlets for SIM replacement and to take additional precautions against SIM-related fraud, issues covered in TechTrendsKE’s guide to keeping an M-PESA account secure.
The wider privacy picture is equally important. TechTrendsKE’s coverage of what is actually happening to customer data examines how information such as phone numbers, identification details, financial records and location data can become valuable when combined with other information. Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019 gives individuals rights over how their personal information is collected, processed, stored and shared, while the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner oversees the country’s data-protection framework. TechTrendsKE has also examined common data privacy myths in Kenya, including misconceptions about how personal information is handled and protected.
That does not mean customers need to treat every new Safaricom number as a security risk. It means the number should be handled with the same care as other personal information, particularly once it becomes connected to financial accounts and digital services.
What customers should know before getting a new number
Customers who want one of the newly released ranges can visit a Safaricom Shop or authorised dealer and ask about available numbers. Availability will depend on the numbers held at the particular outlet.
Customers should also remember that obtaining a new mobile line involves sharing personal information with the service provider. As TechTrendsKE’s reporting on meaningful consent has highlighted, responsible data handling begins with transparency about what information is collected, why it is required, how it will be used and what choices customers have over their information.
Once a number becomes connected to M-PESA and other digital services, protecting access to it becomes even more important. Customers should keep their M-PESA PINs, passwords and one-time verification codes private, use official Safaricom customer-care channels and be cautious about unexpected requests for personal information. Safaricom’s account-security measures provide additional protection, but customers remain an important part of the security process.
The new prefixes also do not necessarily tell customers which network currently serves a number in every situation, because mobile number portability allows subscribers to move between operators while retaining their existing numbers. A prefix therefore primarily identifies the numbering range in which a number was originally allocated rather than providing a permanent guarantee about its current network.
For Safaricom, the release of 0118, 0119, 0140–0143 and 0180–0182 adds another pool of numbers as its Kenyan business continues to operate at scale. The company is expanding physical network infrastructure, giving customers more data on selected packages and adjusting digital-payment services, while also adding numbering capacity for new mobile lines.
For customers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: the nine prefixes are available now through Safaricom Shops and authorised dealers, but the significance goes beyond the first four digits. In a digital economy where a mobile number can connect communication, payments, authentication and personal information, getting a new number also means taking responsibility for the digital identity that will eventually grow around it.
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