Mobile internet speed in Kenya by county
Nairobi has the fastest mobile internet among Kenyan counties with a reliable figure, at 62.1 Mbps average download. West Pokot is slowest at 16.0 Mbps. The median county sits at 32.8 Mbps, and 38 of 46 counties reach 25 Mbps.
The fastest counties
Nairobi (62.1 Mbps), Kitui (54.1 Mbps), Kwale (48.4 Mbps), Kiambu (47.7 Mbps) and Kajiado (44.9 Mbps) lead the table. Only 2 counties pass 50 Mbps. Kitui ranks second at 54.1 Mbps, ahead of Mombasa at 42.0, which surprised me. Only 268 tests sit behind Kitui's figure, against 2,465 for Mombasa, so a handful of fast connections can move it. It is a reminder that speed tests reflect who ran a test.
The slowest counties
West Pokot (16.0), Nyamira (17.5), Elgeyo Marakwet (18.5), Kisii (20.4) and Garissa (21.1) have the slowest average downloads. The fastest county is about 3.9 times as fast as the slowest.
Why I leave Samburu out
Samburu shows 80.2 Mbps, which would put it first by a wide margin. Its tower density is 1.3 per 100 km² and its internet use is 18.9%. Those numbers do not fit a county with the fastest mobile internet in the country. A few Starlink users in a small sample can lift an average, so I flag Samburu and drop it from the ranking.
How many tests sit behind each number
The sample size varies enormously. Kajiado has 13,164 tests and Kiambu has 11,736. Tana River has 63 and Baringo has 105. A figure built on a hundred tests is weaker than one built on ten thousand, and speed tests skew toward urban and higher income users. I expect rural speeds to be lower than shown.
Mobile speed in all counties with a reliable figure
| Rank | County | Average download (Mbps) | Speed tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi | 62.1 | 10,353 |
| 2 | Kitui | 54.1 | 268 |
| 3 | Kwale | 48.4 | 3,559 |
| 4 | Kiambu | 47.7 | 11,736 |
| 5 | Kajiado | 44.9 | 13,164 |
| 6 | Laikipia | 43.8 | 209 |
| 7 | Nakuru | 43.8 | 5,726 |
| 8 | Nyandarua | 42.6 | 626 |
| 9 | Turkana | 42.5 | 342 |
| 10 | Mombasa | 42.0 | 2,465 |
| 11 | Uasin Gishu | 40.1 | 2,459 |
| 12 | Lamu | 39.9 | 155 |
| 13 | Narok | 39.0 | 718 |
| 14 | Mandera | 38.7 | 156 |
| 15 | Kilifi | 37.8 | 993 |
| 16 | Machakos | 37.8 | 907 |
| 17 | Trans Nzoia | 37.7 | 447 |
| 18 | Tana River | 37.2 | 63 |
| 19 | Wajir | 35.8 | 376 |
| 20 | Nyeri | 34.4 | 1,431 |
| 21 | Nandi | 34.2 | 2,360 |
| 22 | Marsabit | 33.2 | 135 |
| 23 | Embu | 33.0 | 1,549 |
| 24 | Meru | 32.6 | 1,393 |
| 25 | Busia | 31.9 | 345 |
| 26 | Taita Taveta | 31.0 | 428 |
| 27 | Tharaka Nithi | 30.9 | 1,321 |
| 28 | Kericho | 29.9 | 529 |
| 29 | Homa Bay | 29.4 | 539 |
| 30 | Migori | 29.2 | 492 |
| 31 | Makueni | 29.0 | 334 |
| 32 | Kisumu | 28.7 | 828 |
| 33 | Murang'a | 28.4 | 4,184 |
| 34 | Kirinyaga | 27.9 | 811 |
| 35 | Kakamega | 26.9 | 1,535 |
| 36 | Bomet | 26.8 | 334 |
| 37 | Vihiga | 26.3 | 588 |
| 38 | Bungoma | 26.0 | 716 |
| 39 | Isiolo | 24.9 | 1,183 |
| 40 | Siaya | 23.5 | 1,110 |
| 41 | Baringo | 21.8 | 105 |
| 42 | Garissa | 21.1 | 323 |
| 43 | Kisii | 20.4 | 413 |
| 44 | Elgeyo Marakwet | 18.5 | 412 |
| 45 | Nyamira | 17.5 | 205 |
| 46 | West Pokot | 16.0 | 468 |
Source: Ookla Speedtest Intelligence, Q1 2026, aggregated to county level. Samburu is flagged and excluded.
Speed counts for 25% of the composite score. The tower density post covers the other half of the network picture. You can also open the map and switch to the Speed layer.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kenyan county has the fastest mobile internet?
Among counties with a reliable figure, Nairobi leads at 62.1 Mbps, followed by Kitui (54.1) and Kwale (48.4).
Why is Samburu left out of the speed ranking?
Samburu shows 80.2 Mbps, which would rank first, but a small number of Starlink users can lift a county average. I flag it and leave it out.
Where does the speed data come from?
Ookla Speedtest Intelligence for Q1 2026, aggregated to county level.
Explore the data
Open the interactive map or browse all 47 counties. County data is on the data page.