Safaricom PLC has declared a record interim dividend of KSh 0.85 per share for FY2026, representing a 54.5% increase from last year’s KSh 0.55.
The payout amounts to Sh34.05 billion, equivalent to 70.8% of FY2025’s total dividend of Sh48.08 billion, signaling a higher overall distribution for the year ending March 2026. Final results are expected in early May.
Market Impact
The announcement triggered a strong rally at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), lifting investor wealth to a new all‑time high of KSh 3.194 trillion. The market added Sh63.02 billion in a single session, marking the biggest one‑day gain since October 16, 2025, when it rose by Sh65.40 billion.
Safaricom’s share price closed Thursday, February 5, 2026, at KES 31.95, up 4.4% from the previous day’s KES 30.60. Year‑to‑date, the stock has gained 12.7%, ranking ninth on the NSE, while delivering a 10% return over the past four weeks, the eighth‑best performance on the bourse.
Trading Leadership
Safaricom remains the most traded stock on the NSE over the past three months (Nov 5, 2025 – Feb 5, 2026), with:
- 496 million shares exchanged across 30,471 deals
- Total turnover of KES 14.4 billion
- Average daily volume of 7.87 million shares
- Peak trading of 55 million shares on Dec 19, 2025
Corporate Statement
In its official notice, Safaricom’s Board confirmed the dividend approval at its meeting on February 4, 2026. The announcement, signed by Company Secretary Linda Wambani on February 5, 2026, emphasized compliance with the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) regulations under the 2023 Securities framework.
“The Board of Safaricom PLC is pleased to announce that at its meeting held on February 4, 2026, it was resolved to approve the payment of an interim dividend of Sh0.85 per ordinary share for the year ending March 31, 2026,” the statement read.
Safaricom underscored its commitment to transparency, accountability, and shareholder value creation, noting that the dividend reflects a strong half‑year performance.
Financial Performance
In November 2025, Safaricom reported results for the six months ended September 30, 2025, showing:
- Service revenue growth of 11.1% to Sh200 billion, driven by mobile money and data services
- Net income surge of 52.1%, supported by cost controls and higher customer usage
Outlook
With interim dividends already surpassing historical benchmarks and investor wealth at record highs, analysts say Safaricom’s trajectory points to sustained shareholder optimism. The telco’s ability to combine robust earnings growth with consistent payouts reinforces its position as the anchor stock of the NSE.
