Airtel Kenya has defended its data pricing strategy after a customer publicly challenged the telecom on X, accusing it of raising the cost of internet access while continuing to run promotional campaigns. Airtel explained why it reduced data bundles. The exchange was triggered after Airtel Kenya posted an advertisement targeting football fans ahead of the English Premier League season. The promotional post read: “EPL imerudi! Stream the matches, follow the action, stay connected and post real-time updates with Airtel Amazing 2.4GB @ KSh 99, valid until midnight.”
Why an Airtel customer complained A user identified as Brian responded to the advertisement with sharp criticism, questioning the telecom’s customer focus. “You make the internet more expensive, then come advertise that all is good. As long as you don’t listen to your customers, don’t even bother with such advertising,” he wrote. Airtel Kenya replied directly to Brian’s post, maintaining that its offerings remain competitive. “Hello Brian, our pricing remains competitive while maintaining the quality and reliability of our network services. Check our increased amazing plans on *544#>amazing,” the company said. Why were other Airtel customers frustrated? Brian’s frustration reflects a broader grievance among Airtel subscribers following the company’s decision to reduce data allocations for Smarta bundle subscribers. Smarta plans, which target value-conscious users, previously offered higher data volumes at the same price points before Airtel revised the package terms downward. The reduction left a number of customers feeling shortchanged, particularly those who had subscribed to the plans based on the original data limits What are the new Airtel Smarta packages? As previously reported by TUKO.co.ke, Airtel Kenya reduced the data allocations across all four Smarta prepaid bundles from August 18, 2026, while keeping the prices unchanged. The KSh 1,500 monthly package recorded the largest reduction, shedding 58GB of data and 80% of its SMS allocation. The two weekly Smarta plans each saw their data cut by half, while on-net calling minutes fell by up to 77%.
