# A2P SMS, OTP, and sender ID rules in Kenya

> BroadNet delivers A2P SMS and OTP in Kenya over direct connections to Safaricom, Airtel Kenya, and Telkom Kenya, with CA sender ID registration in 5-7 business days.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/coverage/kenya
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

Direct termination into Safaricom, Airtel Kenya, and Telkom Kenya with CA-aligned sender ID registration handled in-house.

## Key facts

- Regulator: CA (Communications Authority of Kenya)
- Dialling code: +254
- MCC: 639
- Mobile subscribers: 65M
- Sender-ID lead time: 5-7 business days
- Time to launch: Live in 5–15 business days from test-access request to production
- Typical OTP latency: 3.1 s
- Typical delivery rate, operator-direct: 99.2%
- SMS price band: USD 0.022 – 0.04 (indicative list rates, reviewed 2026-09-24)
- Billing currencies: USD, KES

## Operators

| Operator | MNC | Route | Grade | A2P rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safaricom | 639-02 | Direct | A+ | USD 0.0346 |
| Airtel Kenya | 639-03 | Direct | A+ | USD 0.0323 |
| Telkom Kenya | 639-07 | Direct | A | USD 0.03 |

## Technical facts for Kenya

Network codes, message lengths and sender-ID rules in one table. Segment lengths are the GSM standard values (3GPP TS 23.038).

| Technical facts | |
|---|---|
| Mobile country code (MCC) | 639 |
| Dialling code | +254 |
| Operators (MCC-MNC) | Safaricom · 639-02; Airtel Kenya · 639-03; Telkom Kenya · 639-07 |
| SMS length, GSM-7 (Latin alphabet) | 160 characters in a single SMS; 153 per part when concatenated |
| SMS length, UCS-2 (Arabic, Cyrillic and other scripts) | 70 characters in a single SMS; 67 per part when concatenated |
| Regulator | CA (Communications Authority of Kenya) |
| Sender-ID rules | CA + operator sender ID registration. Safaricom requires content templates approved per use case. English and Swahili scripts supported. |
| Sender-ID lead time | 5-7 business days |

## Pricing

| Band | Transactional | Promotional | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | USD 0.0300 | USD 0.0375 | List rate up to 100K messages/month |
| Growth · 100K+ | USD 0.0264 | USD 0.0330 | Auto-tier discount |
| Volume · 1M+ | USD 0.0222 | USD 0.0277 | Includes quarterly route review |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Direct operator pricing + signed SLA |

## Sender ID

CA + operator sender ID registration. Safaricom requires content templates approved per use case. English and Swahili scripts supported.

CA + operator sender ID registration: 5-7 business days.

## Rules

- **CA sender ID + templates**: Safaricom requires content templates per use case; CA registration handled by BroadNet.
- **Kenya DPA 2019**: Data Protection Act enforced by ODPC. Consent, breach notification, cross-border restrictions.
- **Promotional window 07-19**: Communications Authority of Kenya guidelines: promotional messages only between 7.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m.
- **English + Swahili**: Both supported at parity.

## Compliance

Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 fully enforced (ODPC). Mandatory opt-in for promotional. Communications Authority of Kenya guidelines allow promotional messages only between 07:00 and 19:00.

## Sample A2P template

```text
Your verification code is 528914. Do not share.
```

Swahili:

```text
Nambari yako ya uthibitishaji ni 528914. Usishiriki.
```

## Related

- https://www.broadnet.me/regulations/kenya
- https://www.broadnet.me/pricing/sms/kenya