M-Pesa secured the top position in the 2026 Kenya Superbrands ranking with a score of 91.909, according to Superbrands East Africa.

Safaricom, the parent of M-Pesa, placed second with a score of 89.623, edging Samsung by one-thousandth of a point (89.622).

WhatsApp and Google completed the top five with scores of 89.584 and 89.527 respectively.

The survey, conducted by Kantar, evaluated just over 1,900 brands across 112 categories, with more than 2,250 Kenyan consumers rating them on quality, reliability and distinction.

Respondents indicated that 86 per cent would likely purchase a product or service bearing the Superbrands seal.

An additional 84 per cent said the seal would increase their trust in a brand.

85 per cent reported the seal would encourage them to consider buying or trying a new offering.

81 per cent believed the seal helps a brand stand out and identify category leaders.

Only 63 per cent said they would be willing to pay a premium for a seal-carrying brand.

Jawad Jaffer, Project Director and Associate Publisher at Superbrands East Africa, said Kenyan consumers have many brands to choose from but what ultimately matters is whether a brand delivers on its promises.

He added that consumer trust must be earned consistently through brand building rather than advertising.

The Net Promoter Score for brands with the seal rose from 10 in 2024 to 31 in 2026.

Influencer recommendations were trusted by 58 per cent of respondents at least some of the time, but only 10 per cent trusted them consistently, while 42 per cent did not trust influencers at all.

Packaging was the most common point of contact with the seal, cited by 64 per cent of consumers, followed by television (31 per cent) and social media (29 per cent).

Half of those surveyed associate the seal with excellence, quality and trust, whereas 26 per cent mistake it for a manufacturer’s logo.

Keith Pere and Wetindi Patrick, project leads at Kantar Insights East Africa, said the strongest brands meet both functional and emotional needs while offering something meaningfully different.

Among the top ten, local retailers Naivas, Dettol and Bolt featured alongside global tech platforms, with Naivas ranking sixth, Dettol seventh and Bolt eighth.

Range Rover recorded the highest quality score of 9.37 despite ranking 25th overall.

Equity Bank was the highest-ranked financial institution, placed 21st.