Coast guide
Best internet providers on the Kenyan coast (2026): Mombasa to Malindi, town by town
Eight providers, seven towns, one honest table. This page is run by iNet Africa, one of the providers listed. Coverage comes from each provider's own published map and prices from their published rates, verified 12 September 2026.
Who reaches which town
"Yes" means the provider names the town on its own coverage page. "Select estates" means it serves parts of the town, street by street. "Check map" means it serves the region but has not published that town by name, so ask before you pay.
| Town | iNet | Safaricom | Zuku | Faiba | Poa | Airtel 5G | Mawingu | Starlink |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mombasa (Island, Nyali, Bamburi)Three fiber networks plus Poa and Airtel 5G, all estate by estate. | No | Select estates | Select estates | Select estates | Select estates | Check map | No | Yes |
| Mazeras and RabaiiNet fiber on the Mombasa–Nairobi road. | Yes | Check map | No | No | No | Check map | No | Yes |
| MtwapaZuku fiber and Mawingu wireless both list Mtwapa. | No | Check map | Yes | No | No | Check map | Yes | Yes |
| KilifiThe widest choice on the north coast: two fiber networks, Mawingu wireless and Safaricom in select estates. | Yes | Select estates | Yes | No | No | Check map | Yes | Yes |
| WatamuiNet fiber is the only published fiber option. | Yes | Check map | No | No | No | Check map | No | Yes |
| MalindiiNet fiber plus Mawingu wireless. | Yes | Check map | No | No | No | Check map | Yes | Yes |
| Diani and UkundaiNet fiber; Mawingu lists Ukunda for wireless. | Yes | Check map | No | No | No | Check map | Yes | Yes |
Coverage as published by each provider on 12 September 2026 (Safaricom from its plan pages on 28 July 2026). Starlink needs only open sky. Airtel 5G depends on signal at your address.
What each one costs
| Provider | Type | Entry price / month | Speeds | Data | Getting connected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iNet Africa | Fiber (fixed wireless where fiber has not reached yet) | KES 2,500 (20 Mbps fiber, unlimited) | 20 to 150 Mbps on fiber; 25 to 50 Mbps on fixed wireless | Unlimited. No caps, no throttling. | KES 5,000 covers installation plus your first month on any plan up to KES 5,000 a month; installation is free on bigger plans. No router rental. |
| Safaricom Home Fibre | Fiber (shared capacity) | From KES 800 (Wi-Fi Bamba, 10 Mbps, select estates); Fibre Lite 15 Mbps at KES 1,500; main plans from KES 2,999 | 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps | Fair-usage caps of 1.5 to 7 TB depending on plan (speeds drop after), on a published 1:4 shared-capacity ratio | Free installation and router advertised on published plans |
| Zuku Fiber | Fiber | KES 2,999 (Shujaa, 40 Mbps) | 40 to 200 Mbps | Sold as uncapped fiber | Free installation and free modem. TV add-on KES 299 a month plus a one-off KES 5,000 decoder. |
| Faiba Home Plus (JTL) | Fiber (sold as dedicated) | KES 3,000 (35 Mbps), as reported | 35 Mbps to 1 Gbps | Unlimited, sold as a dedicated (non-shared) line | Not published; ask JTL when you order |
| Poa Internet | Fixed wireless (estate networks) | KES 1,500 a month (20 Mbps), or KES 450 a week or KES 75 a day | 20 Mbps | Unlimited, no caps (their words) | Free, with a 48-hour installation guarantee |
| Airtel 5G Smart Connect | 5G home router (mobile network) | KES 1,999 (15 Mbps, 30 days) | 15 or 30 Mbps, depending on the mast | 1,000 GB a month fair-usage allowance, then 2 Mbps until renewal. 300 GB top-up for KES 1,000. | Router free; KES 1,000 connection fee. Self-setup. |
| Mawingu | Fixed wireless | KES 2,500 (up to 20 Mbps) | Up to 20 to 40 Mbps; "up to" wireless speeds that vary with signal and load | Unlimited | Free installation plus a refundable deposit (amount on application) |
| Starlink | Satellite | About KES 4,000 a month (Residential Lite); Residential KES 6,500 | Varies with weather and load; Starlink quotes up to 400 Mbps in most places globally | Unlimited under a fair-use policy | Self-install. No local technician. |
Prices verified 12 September 2026from each provider's published rates, except Safaricom (28 July 2026, speeds cross-checked against its 30 April 2026 upgrade), Faiba prices (as reported 14 July 2026) and Starlink kit prices (Kenyan resellers, September 2026). Providers change prices; check theirs before deciding.
The short version, by situation
In Mombasa city: fiber from Zuku or Safaricom at KES 2,999 for 40 Mbps if either is on your street, Faiba for a dedicated line, Poa at KES 1,500 or Airtel 5G at KES 1,999 when no cable reaches you. Full Mombasa comparison.
In Kilifi: the north coast's widest choice. iNet fiber from KES 2,500 unlimited, Zuku fiber from KES 2,999, Mawingu wireless from KES 2,500, Safaricom in select estates. Kilifi comparison.
In Watamu, Malindi, Mayungu, Diani, Ukunda or Mazeras: iNet is the only provider publishing fiber coverage, from KES 2,500 with KES 5,000 to get connected including the first month. Mawingu adds wireless in Malindi and Ukunda, and Starlink works anywhere with open sky. Malindi · Watamu · Diani · Ukunda.
Off the grid: Starlink, if you can carry the kit price and live without a technician.
Where iNet is beaten: Safaricom's budget tiers and Poa undercut our KES 2,500 entry price where they exist, Zuku and Safaricom install free, and we do not reach Mombasa city or Mtwapa yet. We think we win on truly unlimited fiber with no caps, total first-year cost, and a technician who lives in your town.
Questions people ask
Who is the best internet provider on the Kenyan coast?
It depends on the town, because no single network covers the whole coast. In Mombasa the choice is between Zuku, Safaricom and Faiba fiber (all estate by estate), with Poa and Airtel 5G as wireless fallbacks. In Kilifi you can choose between iNet fiber, Zuku fiber, Mawingu wireless and Safaricom in select estates. In Watamu, Malindi, Diani, Ukunda and Mazeras, iNet is the only provider publishing fiber coverage; Mawingu adds wireless in Malindi and Ukunda; Starlink works everywhere with open sky. Prices and coverage verified 12 September 2026.
What is the cheapest unlimited internet on the coast?
Poa's 20 Mbps wireless plan at KES 1,500 a month is the lowest headline price, but only inside its Mombasa estates. For fiber, Safaricom's Fibre Lite (15 Mbps, KES 1,500) and Wi-Fi Bamba (10 Mbps, KES 800) exist in select estates on shared capacity with fair-usage caps. The cheapest unlimited fiber with no caps that you can get across Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Diani, Ukunda and Mazeras is iNet's 20 Mbps plan at KES 2,500. Mawingu matches KES 2,500 for up to 20 Mbps on wireless. Prices verified 12 September 2026.
Is there fiber internet in Kilifi, Malindi and Watamu?
Yes. iNet Africa runs its own fiber network in Kilifi Town, Sokoni, Mnarani, Bofa, Tezo, Mtondia and Takaungu, in Watamu, and in Malindi and Mayungu, with fixed wireless in Mambrui and Gongoni. Zuku lists Kilifi town and Mtwapa as live fiber areas but not Malindi or Watamu. Safaricom reaches select estates in Kilifi. Check each provider for your exact street.
Does Zuku, Faiba or Poa work outside Mombasa?
Zuku: yes in Kilifi town and Mtwapa, no in Malindi, Watamu, Diani or Ukunda (its own coverage page, 12 September 2026). Faiba: JTL lists Mombasa but no other coast town. Poa: Mombasa estates only. Airtel's 5G router works wherever Airtel's 5G signal reaches, which you should test at your address first.
How much does it cost to get connected on the coast?
Zuku, Safaricom, Poa and Mawingu all advertise free installation (Mawingu adds a refundable deposit). Airtel's router is free with a KES 1,000 connection fee. iNet bundles installation and your first month into one KES 5,000 payment on plans up to KES 5,000 a month, and installs free above that. Starlink means buying the kit: KES 27,000 for the Mini and KES 49,900 for the Standard at Kenyan resellers. Prices verified 12 September 2026.
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