Natalie Cowling
Research Expert South Africa
Social media in Kenya - statistics & facts
Social media platforms have become an integral part of daily life for billions of people, shaping the way they connect and communicate with each other. From urban centers to rural areas, the influence of social media can be felt everywhere. To start, approximately 37 million Kenyans used the internet in 2025. This is forecast to increase to around 61 million by 2029. The number of mobile internet users in the country was relatively similar, demonstrating a significant increase in comparison to previous years.
WhatsApp most popular social media platform
Between 2014 and 2024, the number of social media users in Kenya increased rapidly. In 2014, the country counted over 34 million users; by 2023, this amount of social media users has more than tripled. According to a survey conducted in 2023, WhatsApp was the most used social media platform. This was followed by TikTok and Instagram, with usage rates of around 20 and 15 percent percent, respectively. On the other hand, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger were the least used platforms. Furthermore, according to Statista’s Global Consumer Survey, the most common activity on social media was following people. Commenting on posts and liking posts by other users were the next most frequent activities being carried out on social media.
Usage of Meta platforms
Meta, the American technology conglomerate, owns the most popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. These were also the three favorite platforms used in Kenya. Facebook's user number steadily increased between 2018 and 2025. Furthermore, by 2028, it is predicted to grow to nearly 12 million users. Most of these users fell between the ages of 18 to 34, with around 38 percent as of December 2024. Interestingly, the user rate was higher (4.3 percent) among those aged 65 and older than those between 55 and 64 (2.5 percent). Instagram users rose steadily as well, despite a slight decrease from 2021 to 2022. As of 2025, it counted roughly 3.7 million users and is set to increase to over six million by 2028. WhatsApp counted as the second largest user base of the three. In 2025, the instant messaging service registered over 10 million users, with an estimated growth rate of 46 percent between 2025 and 2029.
YouTube most visited website of social media platforms
In 2023, it is no surprise that the search engine Google.com constituted the most visited website in Kenya. The multinational received almost 170 million visits. YouTube.com registered just over 80 million visits, whereas Facebook and Whatsapp had approximately 21and 18 million visits, respectively.
WhatsApp most popular social media platform
Between 2014 and 2024, the number of social media users in Kenya increased rapidly. In 2014, the country counted over 34 million users; by 2023, this amount of social media users has more than tripled. According to a survey conducted in 2023, WhatsApp was the most used social media platform. This was followed by TikTok and Instagram, with usage rates of around 20 and 15 percent percent, respectively. On the other hand, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger were the least used platforms. Furthermore, according to Statista’s Global Consumer Survey, the most common activity on social media was following people. Commenting on posts and liking posts by other users were the next most frequent activities being carried out on social media.
Usage of Meta platforms
Meta, the American technology conglomerate, owns the most popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. These were also the three favorite platforms used in Kenya. Facebook's user number steadily increased between 2018 and 2025. Furthermore, by 2028, it is predicted to grow to nearly 12 million users. Most of these users fell between the ages of 18 to 34, with around 38 percent as of December 2024. Interestingly, the user rate was higher (4.3 percent) among those aged 65 and older than those between 55 and 64 (2.5 percent). Instagram users rose steadily as well, despite a slight decrease from 2021 to 2022. As of 2025, it counted roughly 3.7 million users and is set to increase to over six million by 2028. WhatsApp counted as the second largest user base of the three. In 2025, the instant messaging service registered over 10 million users, with an estimated growth rate of 46 percent between 2025 and 2029.
YouTube most visited website of social media platforms
In 2023, it is no surprise that the search engine Google.com constituted the most visited website in Kenya. The multinational received almost 170 million visits. YouTube.com registered just over 80 million visits, whereas Facebook and Whatsapp had approximately 21and 18 million visits, respectively.
