Kenya's mandatory identity-verification process for activating a local SIM or mobile line, typically requiring passport details.
Kenyan regulations require mobile lines to be registered against a verified identity. For eSIM travel plans, most providers handle this registration digitally as part of checkout; for a physical SIM bought locally, you'll complete it in person with your passport at point of purchase.
Also known as: ekyc, sim registration
4G / LTE
The mobile data standard that provides most of Kenya's everyday browsing, streaming, and navigation speeds.
5G
The newest mobile data standard, currently limited mostly to Nairobi and other major Kenyan cities.
Airtel Kenya
Kenya's second-largest mobile network, strong in cities but with materially less rural and national-park coverage than Safaricom.
APN (Access Point Name)
The network gateway settings a phone uses to connect to mobile data — usually automatic, but sometimes needs manual entry.
Carrier Lock (SIM Lock)
A restriction that ties a phone to a single carrier, which can prevent installing a different eSIM.
Coverage Map
A visual representation of where a carrier's network signal reaches, often shown by strength or generation (4G/5G/3G).