Why a Sender ID
A Sender ID is the name recipients see instead of a number - it builds trust and brand recognition. Promotional IDs suit marketing; transactional IDs are for OTPs, bank alerts and service messages and are strongly recommended for critical traffic.
Registration requirements
- Sender ID name up to 11 characters, non-generic, aligned to your product/brand
- Trademark proof (for a product) or Certificate of Registration (for a company name)
- A signed authorization letter for eSMS to raise the ID with the network
- For transactional IDs: a letter confirming the transactional use case where required
Setup fees (reference)
| Network | Setup | Recurring |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled Safaricom & Airtel | KES 14,100 | None |
| Safaricom only | KES 8,700 | None |
| Airtel only | KES 8,700 | None |
| Telkom | KES 4,500 | None |
| Equitel | KES 9,000 | None |
Readiness by network
- Safaricom - Setup Mon & Thu before 12:30 - ready Tue & Fri
- Airtel - Setup Wed - ready in 7 to 14 days
- Telkom - Setup Wed - ready in 4 to 8 weeks
- Equitel - Setup Wed - ready in 4 to 8 weeks
The Sender ID fees below are a one-off setup per network - there is no monthly maintenance in Kenya. Promotional sending is restricted to 07:00-19:00; OTP / transactional is exempt.
Onboarding - documents required
- Signed service order form
- Organization's Certificate of Incorporation (organizations only)
- Organization's or individual's Tax Certificate
- Authorized representative's Passport or National ID
- Details of the authorized representative / individual