Vodafone Kenya Limited has completed the acquisition of the Government of Kenya’s 15% stake in Safaricom. With this, its shareholding in the telecommunications giant to 55% and making it the majority shareholder.
The transaction was completed on 30 June 2026 through a block trade on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and marks the conclusion of a deal first announced in December 2025. The completion follows regulatory approvals, the fulfilment of all conditions precedent and the lifting of legal barriers that had temporarily delayed the transaction.
In a public announcement, Safaricom said the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) granted Vodafone Kenya an exemption from making a mandatory takeover offer to minority shareholders under Kenya’s takeover regulations, allowing the transaction to proceed without requiring Vodafone Kenya to purchase shares from other investors.
Following the transaction, Safaricom’s shareholding structure is now:
- Vodafone Kenya Limited: 55%
- Government of Kenya: 20%
- General Public Investors: 25%
The company also confirmed that Vodafone Kenya’s internal reorganisation has been completed, resulting in Vodacom Group owning 100% of Vodafone Kenya.
The acquisition had faced legal hurdles after a court challenge sought to halt the sale of the government’s stake. However, the Court of Appeal lifted a conservatory order on 26 June 2026, allowing the share transfer to proceed while the substantive petition continues before the High Court. Safaricom noted that the petition remains pending but no longer prevents completion of the transaction.
Prior to the deal, Vodafone Kenya held a 40% stake while the Government of Kenya owned 35%. The government’s holding has now reduced to 20%, with public investors retaining their 25% shareholding.
Vodafone Group separately announced that, through Vodacom Group, it had completed the acquisition of an effective 20% additional interest in Safaricom. The deal included the purchase of the Government of Kenya’s 15% stake for KES 204 billion, alongside an effective 5% interest acquired through an internal restructuring, taking its effective ownership to 55%.
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