Amazon’s ambition to become a global satellite internet provider has arrived at Kenya’s doorstep. The tech giant founded by Jeff Bezos has initiated formal discussions with the Kenyan government about deploying its Low Earth Orbit satellite broadband network, formerly known as Project Kuiper and rebranded as Amazon Leo in November 2025, in what could mark one of Africa’s most significant shifts in the connectivity landscape.
In late February 2026, representatives of Amazon’s LEO satellite broadband network paid a courtesy call on Kenya’s ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui, with discussions focused on expanding fast, reliable, and affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities. Tanui subsequently confirmed that the service could go live within one to two years, adding that
“Kenya will be one of the first three countries” on the continent to receive it.
Amazon Leo is a subsidiary of Amazon established in 2019 to deploy a large constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. In July 2020, the FCC authorized Amazon to deploy 3,236 satellites, with Amazon purchasing 92 rocket launches from United Launch Alliance, ArianeGroup, and Blue Origin at a total cost exceeding $10 billion. The first 27 production satellites launched on 28 April 2025, validating satellite to ground links, propulsion systems, and integration with Amazon Web Services ground infrastructure. By April 2026, the constellation had grown to 270 satellites in orbit.
Kenya is a strategically attractive market given its digital transformation agenda and persistent rural connectivity gaps. Amazon’s entry would directly challenge Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite network, which currently leads the LEO broadband space in the country. Through Amazon Web Services, the company already supplies cloud infrastructure to governments and enterprises worldwide, meaning a bundled broadband and cloud offering could position it as far more than just an internet provider.
No formal license has been announced, and activation remains subject to regulatory approvals and deployment progress. But with Kenya named as one of Africa’s first target markets, the continent’s satellite broadband race is set to become considerably more competitive.
