Kenya Media Landscape Report: Ad Expenditure On Mass Media Rises 7% To Kes 29.5B In H1 2026.

Key findings

Kenya’s advertising market entered 2026 with a little more confidence than it had a year earlier. Mainstream advertising expenditure grew from KSh 27.6 billion in H1 2025 to KSh 29.5 billion in H1 2026, a 7% increase year on year. The figure remained below the KSh 38.7 billion recorded in H2 2025, when advertising activity was considerably stronger, but H1 2026 still closed above the previous year’s first half, leaving room for spending to accelerate as the year progresses.

The distribution of that investment points to a market where certain categories continue to defend visibility aggressively. Banking led with KSh 4.90 billion, followed by Media at KSh 3.66 billion, Betting and Gambling at KSh 2.33 billion and Communication at KSh 2.22 billion. 

These are highly competitive markets in which brands are constantly trying to win customers, protect market share, and keep their products visible. Banking, for instance, continues to operate across increasingly crowded digital financial services, while telecommunications and betting brands face equally intense competition for consumers. Media companies are competing for audiences while also buying advertising to promote their own products and platforms.

Where Advertisers Are Investing In Confidence

Television remained the largest traditional advertising platform, attracting KSh 16.89 billion during the half, while radio recorded KSh 11.90 billion. Radio’s performance becomes particularly interesting when its regional distribution is considered. Vernacular and regional stations continued to attract substantial advertising from banking, agriculture and communication brands, giving advertisers access to audiences through local language, community relevance and presenter-led engagement.

Print moved in a different direction from the broader traditional media market, with expenditure reaching KSh 739.2 million, 12% above H1 2025. State bodies remained the largest advertisers, followed by banking and insurance. The continued investment reflects the role print plays when communication requires detail, institutional authority and information that audiences can revisit.

OOH is approaching a different kind of constraint, with large-format occupancy increasing from 65.1% in January to 70.1% in June. Nairobi accounted for 2,350 large-format sites, compared with 216 in Mombasa, 199 in Kisumu and 146 in Eldoret. Inventory remains available, but the commercial value of OOH is increasingly concentrated in locations that deliver repeated exposure along major commuter routes, commercial centres and city entry points.

The 2027 Kenya General Elections Factor

Kenya is moving towards the 2027 General Election, bringing political communication into a media environment already carrying substantial commercial activity. Increased political advertising and news consumption are likely to put further pressure on broadcast airtime and premium OOH locations, particularly as campaigns move closer to the election period. The report projects an 11% increase in mainstream advertising expenditure in H2 2026, meaning commercial demand is expected to rise at the same time that political activity begins taking up more public attention.

For brands operating in heavily advertised categories, this creates a more demanding planning environment. Banking, communication, betting, food, personal care and other consumer-facing sectors will be competing for audiences alongside political campaigns that can generate sustained visibility across television, radio, outdoor and digital platforms.

The challenge will extend beyond securing media space. When political messages begin dominating news cycles, public conversations and high-traffic environments, commercial campaigns can become easier to overlook. A well-funded campaign can still lose visibility when the surrounding environment becomes saturated with competing messages.

Mass Media's Strategic Value H2 Onward

H1 2026 offers an early indication of where brands can find strength. Radio continues to offer regional precision, print retains value for information-led communication, television remains central to large-scale visibility, and OOH is becoming increasingly dependent on securing the right locations at the right time.

As the market moves into the second half, the quality of media decisions will matter increasingly. Brands will need to understand where their audiences are most receptive, which environments can carry their message without being drowned out and where premium inventory may become harder to secure.

The Kenya Media Landscape Report H1 2026 examines these shifts in detail, bringing together advertising expenditure, sector performance, media channels, leading advertisers, OOH activity and the developments shaping Kenya’s media market towards 2027.

Download the full report to understand where and how advertisers are investing in their brand salience.