- Internet service providers would be required to measure customer consumption and generate itemised usage-based invoices.
- Subscribers would receive unique meter numbers, while providers would submit annual billing information to the communications regulator.
- The proposal could have implications for consumers, digital access and the pricing models used by internet providers.
A new debate over the future of internet billing is emerging in Parliament—and it could significantly reshape how Kenyans pay for data.
Aldai MP Marianne Jebet Kitany is sponsoring legislation that would introduce metered billing for internet services, requiring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to track customer usage and issue bills based on actual consumption.
However, a key point remains: Kenya has not yet adopted this system.
The proposal is contained in the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2025, National Assembly Bill No. 9 of 2025. The Bill seeks to amend the Kenya Information and Communications Act and establish a statutory framework for internet metering.
At the centre of the proposal is a requirement for ISPs to implement a meter-based billing system for their customers.
The proposed framework would assign each subscriber a unique meter identifier, monitor internet usage, translate that usage into readable consumption data, generate itemised invoices based on usage, and allow customers to verify their bills.
In practical terms, the proposal aims to make internet consumption measurable in a way that directly informs billing.
This would represent a significant shift from the current model used by many Kenyans, where internet is typically sold in fixed data bundles or unlimited-use packages for a set period.
The concept is not entirely new.
Kitany initially introduced the idea through a parliamentary motion focused on addressing digital exclusion.
The motion called for government policy to regulate internet billing through consumption-based metering and encouraged ISPs to develop systems capable of tracking usage and generating usage-based invoices.
The stated objective was consumer protection and ensuring that users receive value for the services they purchase.
The 2025 Bill now formalises that proposal within Kenya’s communications law framework.
What happens to unlimited internet?
This is where the debate becomes more complex.
While the proposed legislation introduces consumption-based metering, it does not explicitly abolish unlimited internet packages.
As such, reports suggesting that unlimited internet has already been banned are inaccurate.
However, if enacted, ISPs would be required to assess how their current service offerings align with the proposed statutory metering requirements.
The eventual impact on pricing structures, data bundles and unlimited plans will depend on the final version of the law passed by Parliament, as well as any applicable framework for its implementation.
The proposed framework also assigns a role to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
ISPs would be required to submit annual information to the Authority on their billing systems, including details of internet meter numbers issued to subscribers.
This provision has raised questions regarding data governance and consumer privacy, particularly over the nature and extent of subscriber information associated with the meter numbers.
The issue places the proposal within the broader national conversation on privacy, consumer rights and regulation of Kenya’s expanding digital economy.
Why the proposal matters
For millions of Kenyans, internet access is now an essential service rather than a luxury.
Students rely on it for education, businesses for operations and marketing, workers for communication and remote work, and farmers and traders for market access and digital transactions.
A shift in how internet usage is measured and billed could therefore have wide-ranging economic and social implications.
Proponents of metered billing argue that it would enhance transparency by allowing consumers to clearly understand their usage and how charges are calculated.
Critics, however, may raise concerns that consumption-based billing could increase costs for heavy users and potentially affect the affordability of unlimited data packages.
It is important to emphasise that the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is still under consideration in Parliament. It has not been enacted into law and does not currently change how internet services are billed in Kenya.
The Bill remains subject to the legislative process.
As such, consumers should not expect immediate changes in how ISPs charge for internet services.
However, the direction of policy discussion is clear.
Parliament is considering whether Kenya should transition towards a formal metered internet billing system.
If the proposal is ultimately passed in its current or a similar form, it could significantly transform the internet market—from prepaid bundles to a system where usage is precisely measured, recorded and billed accordingly.
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For Kenya’s rapidly growing digital economy, this could become one of the most consequential reforms in the telecommunications sector.
By Hillary Muhaly
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