How to get a USSD code in Kenya

A USSD code lets customers reach your service by dialling something like *384*123# from any phone — no app, no data bundle. If you’re planning a USSD service in Kenya, this guide explains the options, the process, and what to prepare before you apply.

*384*123#

Shared vs dedicated USSD codes

Shared codes sit under a provider’s existing code, for example *384*123#, where your service is the extension after the main code. They’re faster to set up and suit pilots, campaigns and smaller services.

Dedicated codes are short codes allocated to your organisation alone, such as *123#. They’re easier for customers to remember and suit large, long-running services like banking, but the application takes longer and costs more.

Who allocates USSD codes in Kenya

Numbering resources in Kenya, including USSD codes, are regulated by the Communications Authority of Kenya. In practice most businesses work through a licensed provider, which handles the application and gets the code activated on each mobile network — Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom — so customers on every network can dial it.

The process, step by step

  1. Define your service — what customers will do on the menu, and roughly how many sessions you expect.
  2. Choose shared or dedicated — start shared if you want to launch quickly and test demand.
  3. Prepare documents — typically business registration details and a description of the service. Your provider will confirm the current requirements.
  4. Build the menu — your application receives each step of the session through the provider’s API and returns the next screen.
  5. Test on every network — check the flow and session timeouts on Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom lines before launch.
  6. Go live and promote the code — on SMS, packaging, radio, or wherever your customers already are.

Designing a USSD menu that works

  • Keep each screen short — USSD screens are small and sessions time out.
  • Put the most common action first.
  • Confirm important actions, like payments, before completing them.
  • Follow up with an SMS receipt, since the USSD screen disappears when the session ends.

Getting a USSD code with Connect Media

Connect Media offers USSD integration alongside SMS and voice, with support from our Nairobi team through the code application. It’s widely used for SMS banking, mFarming data collection and voting. Create an account or email info@connectmedia.co.ke to start your application.

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