Kenya Country Code 254 | KE | KEN | .ke

Kenya’s Country Codes

• Telephone: +254
• 2 Letter: KE
• 3 Letter: KEN
• ISO 3116-1 Numeric: 404
• Internet TLD: .ke
• ICAO Airport Code: HK
• Maritime Identification Digits: 634
• Emoji Flag: U+1F1F0 U+1F1EA
• Official Name: The Republic of Kenya

How to call Kenya (international dialing)

• Do not dial a leading ‘0’ in the international call sequence – it is only used in Kenya for domestic long distance calls and domestic calls to a mobile phone.
• Callers from Uganda and Tanzania can substitute ‘005’ for the exit code and country code in the call sequence.
• A leading '+' in the phone number means 'dial your country's exit code'.
• Calling from a mobile phone: dial from on the country where you're currently located.
• Calling from a VoIP or satellite phone: dial from on the country where the phone is registered.

… to a mobile (cellular) phone or text (SMS)

Use the same call sequence.

Mobile phone numbers begin with ‘7’. Phone numbers are often listed as ’07’; however, the leading ‘0’ is not dialed when calling from outside the country. The second and third digit of the phone number designates the mobile provider.

When calling a mobile phone user, dial to the country where the mobile phone is registered, regardless of where the person is  roaming.

… to a VoIP phone

Use the same call sequence.

When calling a VoIP phone user, dial to the country where the VoIP phone is registered, regardless of where the person is roaming.

… to a satellite phone

Kenya does not have a country-specific satellite phone system.

Most satellite phones operate on their country code – calls to these satellite phones follow their call sequence.

… sending a fax

Use the same call sequence.

How to call within Kenya (domestic dialing)

‘0’ is used as a trunk prefix for calling to a different area code within Kenya.

Local calling (within the same area code)

To call within the same area code in Kenya dial only the local six-digit local number. Do not dial the trunk prefix ‘0’ or the area code.

Long distance calling (to a different area code, or from a mobile phone)

To call to a different area code within Kenya dial the trunk prefix ‘0’, then the two digit area code, then the local phone number.

Mobile calling (to a mobile phone)

To call a mobile phone within Kenya dial the trunk prefix ‘0’, then the three digit carrier code, then the local phone number.

Kenyan phone numbers explained

Number details

Kenyan numbers are seven to nine digits.

Landlines (fixed line phones) have a two-digit area code (often listed as three digits with a leading ‘0’ that is not dialed when calling from outside of Kenya). It represents a geographic part of the country.

Mobile numbers are represented by three-digit carrier codes starting with ‘7’. The second and third digit signifies the mobile phone carrier. The carrier code resembles an area code.

An example of a Kenyan phone number

The House of Waine lists its phone number in Nairobi as +254 (0) 20 260 1455.

Number explanation

Local example – calling from another location in Nairobi, Kenya

To call within the same area code dial only the local phone number. Do not dial the trunk prefix ‘0’ or the area code.

Long distance example – calling from Lodwar, Kenya (on the other side of the country)

To call from a different area code dial the trunk prefix ‘0’, then the area code, then the local phone number.

Mobile phone example – calling from a mobile phone (including a foreign mobile phone roaming in Kenya)

To call from a mobile phone dial the trunk prefix ‘0’, then the area code, then the local phone number.

International example – calling from outside Kenya

To call from outside Kenya, dial the exit code of the country the call is dialed from, followed by Kenya’s country code of ‘254’, followed by the local phone number.

How to call from Kenya

…to all countries except Tanzania and Uganda

‘000’ is used as an exit code when dialing an international call from Kenya.

…to Tanzania and Uganda

Tanzania and Uganda can be called through an alternative dialing process that is a remnant of the East African Posts and Telecommunications Corporation.

Uganda

The Ugandan switchboard can be reached by dialing ‘006’ ahead of the local Ugandan phone number.

Tanzania

The Tanzanian switchboard can be reached by dialing ‘007’ ahead of the local Tanzanian phone number.

Sources and more resources

• Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) – Kenya’s telephone systems regulator.
• ITU (International Telecommunications Union) – United Nations specialized agency for information and communications technologies.
• International Telecommunications Union – DIALLING PROCEDURES (INTERNATIONAL PREFIX, NATIONAL (TRUNK) PREFIX AND NATIONAL (SIGNIFICANT) NUMBER) (IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITU-T RECOMMENDATION E.164 (11/2010)) – A collection of dialing procedures for all countries and regions of the world. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
• International Telecommunications Union – Kenya (country code +254) National Numbering Plan – Details of Kenya’s telephone numbering plan as submitted to the ITU. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
• Wikipedia – Telephone numbers in Kenya – Wikipedia entry for telephone number data for Kenya. Includes specific number ranges for each city as well as detail on calling procedures.
• BT – The Phonebook – Kenya – Entry for Uganda in the British Telecom international directory.