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SMS gateway for Kenya: send SMS from your own Kenya number

Published and updated

An Android phone holding a Kenya SIM sends the messages, so the API call goes out over that SIM and recipients see the +254 number that sent it. Any Android phone with a Kenya SIM that can send SMS runs the textbee app. The Registration of SIM cards Regulations 2015 require the buyer to appear in person before the operator or its agent with an identity document, and an unregistered SIM is suspended and deactivated after ninety days. The SIM keeps its own carrier plan, and textbee is $9.99 a month at 5,000 messages on top of it.

How it works with a local SIM

  1. Put a Kenya SIM in an Android phone that stays on and on power, and install the textbee app on it.
  2. Register the device from the dashboard, which pairs the phone with your API key.
  3. Call POST /gateway/send-sms with the recipient in E.164 form. The phone sends it over the SIM and reports the result back.

What it costs at 1K, 5K and 25K messages

Monthly spend sending to Kenya, cloud providers and a local SIM against textbee plans
Provider1K messages5K messages25K messages
Twilio$314.55$313.40 messages, $1.15 number$1,568.15$1,567.00 messages, $1.15 number$7,836.15$7,835.00 messages, $1.15 number
Safaricom Monthly SMS bundle, 3500 SMS$1.54KES 200 per 30 daysAbove the plan3,500 SMS a month for KES 200 per 30 daysAbove the plan3,500 SMS a month for KES 200 per 30 days
Safaricom All In One 1000, 100 SMS with data and minutesAbove the plan100 SMS a month for KES 1,000 per 30 daysAbove the plan100 SMS a month for KES 1,000 per 30 daysAbove the plan100 SMS a month for KES 1,000 per 30 days
textbee$9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included$9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included$29.99Scale plan, up to 25,000 messages included

textbee plans include the messages shown. There is no per message fee, number rental or carrier surcharge.

Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026

The textbee plan is the platform fee and the SIM plan is what the carrier charges for the messages, so a local setup costs the plan price plus the SIM.

Rules for application to person SMS in Kenya

  • The Kenya Information and Communications (Registration of SIM cards) Regulations 2015 require the operator or its agent to register every subscriber, to have the person appear in person, and to record full names and an identity card, passport or alien card number; anyone else selling a SIM card commits an offence. ca.go.ke, checked on September 4, 2026
  • A SIM whose holder fails to register within ninety days is suspended and deactivated, and giving false information during registration is an offence. ca.go.ke, checked on September 4, 2026
  • The Communications Authority lists unsolicited SMS and calls among the consumer complaints it handles. ca.go.ke, checked on September 4, 2026

Quickstart

send.sh
curl -X POST https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"recipients": ["+254712123456"], "message": "Your textbee code is 482913. It expires in 10 minutes."}'

On a dual SIM phone, pass simSubscriptionId to pick the SIM the message goes out on, as the send reference describes.

Format and check Kenya numbers

The API takes E.164, which for Kenya looks like +254712123456, so strip any local trunk prefix before you send.

Result

Enter a phone number above.

Use E.164 format (e.g. +15551234567) for textbee.dev API recipients.

Count segments

A message over one segment is sent as more than one SMS, so it draws more than once on the SIM plan.

Result

  • Characters: 54
  • Encoding: GSM-7
  • Segments: 1 SMS
  • 1 segment = 1 SMS

GSM-7: 160 chars per segment (153 for multi-part). Unicode/emoji: 70 chars per segment (67 for multi-part). Carriers may charge per segment.

Honest limits

One phone sends roughly 10 to 15 messages a minute, so a large blast takes time to drain. Carriers can filter bulk patterns on consumer SIMs. Marketing messages still need consent from the recipient under the local rules.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register a Kenyan SIM remotely for a gateway phone?

No. The Registration of SIM cards Regulations 2015 require the operator or agent to have the person appear in person and give full names and an identity card, passport or alien card number with the original document. It is an offence for anyone other than an operator or agent to sell a SIM card.

What happens to an unregistered Kenyan SIM?

Where a person fails to register within ninety days, the regulations say the SIM card is suspended and deactivated. Giving false information during registration is an offence.

Which Safaricom bundle suits SMS volume?

The Safaricom SMS bundle terms list a monthly bundle of 3500 SMS for KES 200, a weekly unlimited SMS bundle for KES 50, and a daily unlimited SMS bundle for KES 20. The All In One 1000 bundle at KES 1,000 for 30 days includes only 100 SMS.

Sources

  1. SMS rules Kenya, ca.go.ke, checked on September 4, 2026
  2. SMS rules Kenya, ca.go.ke, checked on September 4, 2026
  3. Safaricom Monthly SMS bundle, 3500 SMS, checked on September 4, 2026
  4. Safaricom All In One 1000, 100 SMS with data and minutes, checked on September 4, 2026
  5. Twilio SMS pricing, Kenya, checked on September 4, 2026

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