The number of Kenyans using WhatsApp fell by about one percentage point to 53.9 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of the 2025/26 financial year, according to new data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The regulator’s Audience Measurement and Industry Trends Report shows that 54.4 per cent of Kenyans were using WhatsApp in the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.
The decline coincided with gains by other popular social media platforms, particularly Facebook and TikTok.
Facebook’s market share grew by 4.9 percentage points to 68.6 per cent during the review period, while TikTok usage rose by 0.7 percentage points to 30.3 per cent.
Despite the decline, WhatsApp remains among the two most widely used social media platforms in Kenya.
“Facebook and WhatsApp are the most popular social media platforms in Kenya, followed by TikTok and YouTube in third and fourth place,” the report said.
“The frequent mention of Facebook and WhatsApp highlights how widely they are used and how influential they are in Kenya’s digital space.”
The report attributes the rising use of social media to increased smartphone adoption, a growing Gen Z population, the expansion of e-commerce, and the availability of cheaper internet.
However, CA data shows that platforms such as Snapchat, email, Opera Mini and Telegram have relatively low usage in Kenya. Only 0.4 per cent of Kenyans use Snapchat, while Telegram accounts for 3.4 per cent of users.
