Internet Providers in Kenya Compared: Safaricom vs Zuku vs Faiba vs Starlink

By Makao Match Team

Nobody actually wants to compare internet providers. What you want is to never think about your connection again, for it to just work while you're on a call or halfway through a film. The trick is matching the provider to how you actually live, not to whoever has the loudest advert.

If you work from home

Your connection is your income, so reliability beats everything. Faiba is the value champion here, offering fast speeds from around KES 1,800 to 4,500 a month, and it's hard to beat if it reaches your building. Safaricom Home costs a little more (roughly KES 2,500 to 5,999) but tends to have the wider footprint, especially in newer estates, and the M-Pesa billing is frictionless. Either will comfortably carry video calls and screen-shares all day.

If it's a busy family house

When the TV, three phones and a laptop all want bandwidth at 8pm, Zuku's triple-play is genuinely convenient, internet, TV and phone on a single bill, from about KES 2,199 to 5,499. Its mid-tier plans around 40 Mbps handle Netflix, YouTube and a video call at the same time without anyone shouting about buffering.

If you're out where fibre hasn't reached

In rural areas and satellite towns, the fibre question is often simply "there isn't any." That's where Starlink earns its keep, 50 to 200 Mbps over satellite for about KES 6,500 a month, though you'll swallow roughly KES 45,000 in hardware upfront. It's expensive, but it works reliably in places where nothing else does, which is the whole point.

If you're a student watching every shilling

Faiba's entry plan around 20 Mbps for about KES 1,800 a month is the cheapest genuinely unlimited option going. Pair it with your phone as a hotspot backup and you're covered for classes, research and the occasional hostel movie night.

Two minutes that save you months of regret

Before you commit to anyone, do two things. Check actual coverage by entering your estate or building name on the provider's site, marketing maps lie, address checks don't. Then ask your neighbours what they use and whether it drops; lived experience beats every brochure. It's also worth keeping a portable MiFi as an outage backup, and haggling on installation fees, which several providers will waive for a 12-month contract. When you're browsing homes on Makao Match, check whether fibre already reaches the building, it saves a painful surprise on move-in day.