2,000 texts a month to Kenya
| Twilio | DroidSender | |
|---|---|---|
| Price of the texts | $626.80 ($0.3134 each) | $11.99/month (Starter) + your mobile plan |
| Phone number | Twilio doesn't support Kenyan numbers for SMS | The number you already have |
| Registration | See the rules below | None |
| Replies | Depend on the sender | In your inbox, same conversation |
What it takes to send business SMS in Kenya
- Safaricom requires a registered sender. Twilio registers alphanumeric senders in about 4 weeks; long codes and short codes are not supported.
- Registration fees per network. Local providers charge to register your sender name on each network: KES 5,999 for Safaricom and for Airtel and KES 3,999 for Telkom (TextSMS), or KES 6,500 per network (Celcom Africa), with your business registration certificate. It takes 2–7 business days.
- A name can't receive replies.
Sending from your own SIM in Kenya
Kenyan operators sell SMS bundles, for example Safaricom's weekly unlimited SMS bundle (KES 50) and Airtel's 1,500 SMS monthly bundle (KES 75).
- Characters: English and Kiswahili fit in a normal 160-character SMS.
- Number format: Kenyan mobile numbers start with 07 or 01, or +254 in international format.
- How it works: install the DroidSender app on an Android phone, upload your list from Excel or use the API, and the phone sends each text from your number. Replies arrive in one inbox on your computer.
See the price in every country on the Twilio SMS pricing by country page.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an SMS cost in Kenya on Twilio?
- Twilio's base price is $0.3134 per SMS segment to Kenyan mobiles (October 2026), so 2,000 texts cost $626.80.
- How much does a sender ID cost in Kenya?
- Local providers charge a one-time fee per network, for example KES 5,999 for Safaricom (TextSMS) or KES 6,500 (Celcom Africa). With DroidSender you send from your own number, with no sender ID to buy.
- How long does sender ID registration take in Kenya?
- Local providers quote 2–7 business days; Twilio quotes about 4 weeks.
Sources: Twilio prices from twilio.com (SMS pricing and country guidelines), local providers from their own websites, mobile plans from the operators' websites. Checked 13–14 October 2026. Prices change, so check before you decide. Twilio is a trademark of Twilio Inc.; DroidSender is not affiliated with Twilio or the providers named here.