{
  "id": 8865088,
  "title": "Mobile money agents fall 5.6pc despite subscription growth",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/mobile-money-agents-fall-5-6pc-despite-subscription-growth",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-21T07:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital Business",
    "slug": "capital-business",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/mobile-money-agents-fall-5-6pc-despite-subscription-growth/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nairobi, Kenya - The count of licensed mobile money agents in Kenya decreased by 5.6 percent to 568,463 between April and June 2026, despite a record-high 101.3 percent penetration in mobile money subscriptions. According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), mobile money subscriptions climbed by 13.2 percent to 4 million during the quarter, up from 602,470 agents in the prior quarter. Overall, active mobile subscriptions across all networks rose by 4.6 percent to 87.99 million. Mobile data subscriptions expanded 9.7 percent year-on-year to 64.3 million in June 2026, compared to 58.6 million the previous year. Mobile broadband subscriptions comprised 85.5 percent of total data subscriptions, with 4G being the most prevalent broadband technology. A rise in smartphone subscriptions was observed, with a 4.2 percent increase to 52.26 million, while feature phone subscriptions fell by 3.9 percent to 27.42 million. The CA emphasized that the Internet is a crucial catalyst for digital transformation, enabling economic participation and the provision of services in both the public and private sectors.",
  "summary": "The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) said mobile money subscriptions increased by 13.2 per cent to 4 million during the quarter, from 602,470 agents in the previous quarter.",
  "key_points": [
    "Licensed mobile money agents in Kenya dropped 5.6% to 568,463.",
    "Mobile money subscriptions surged 13.2% to 4 million.",
    "Overall active mobile subscriptions rose 4.6% to 87.99 million."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The decline in licensed mobile money agents suggests a shift in Kenya's digital financial landscape, where growth in mobile subscriptions and data usage may be outpacing the need for physical agent networks.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}