Kenya
Official WhatsApp Business API in Kenya
The official WhatsApp Business API in Kenya, on your own number
Keep the number your customers already have saved. DMly connects it to Meta's official WhatsApp Business API, so your whole team can reply, broadcasts go to opted-in customers, and payment links for M-Pesa or card go out inside the chat.
Your existing number
Official Meta API
Whole team on one number
M-Pesa links in chat
WhatsApp Business API
The basics
What the WhatsApp Business API is, in plain terms
Most Kenyan businesses start on the free WhatsApp Business app. The API is the version Meta built for businesses that have outgrown one phone.
The app is one phone
The WhatsApp Business app works well for a single owner. Once two or three people are answering, it turns into a phone passed around the counter, chats nobody claimed and prices quoted twice.
The API is a connection, not an app
The API connects your number to software. Customers see the same WhatsApp they always use. Behind it, your team works from a shared inbox, each with their own login, and every reply is recorded.
Official means permitted
DMly uses Meta's official WhatsApp Business API. There is no modified WhatsApp, no unofficial bulk sender and no risky workaround. Templates are approved by Meta and broadcasts go to people who opted in.
Co-existence keeps the app working
With co-existence, the WhatsApp Business app stays on your phone while the same number runs on DMly. You can still reply from the phone at the duka, and the team sees the conversation too.
Getting connected
How to get the WhatsApp Business API in Kenya with DMly
We do this with you on a video call. Most of it is clicking through Meta's own screens.
01
Connect your number
You sign in to Facebook through Meta's signup inside DMly, create or choose your Meta business portfolio, and connect the number you already use.
02
Set your display name
This is the name customers see at the top of the chat. Meta reviews it, so it should match the name on your signboard or registration.
03
Verify your business
Recommended, not required on day one. Meta checks your BRS registration documents and KRA PIN, and verification lets you start conversations with more than 250 customers a day.
04
Get your templates approved
Booking confirmations, payment receipts, reminders and offers are written as templates and submitted to Meta for review.
05
Go live
Replies come into the team inbox, the AI agent starts answering, and your first broadcast can go to the customers who opted in.
What customers see
The same WhatsApp, with a whole business behind it
A fictional Westlands salon on the official API. The customer just sees a quick, clear reply.
Answers at any hour
The AI agent replies with your real prices and free slots, even after you have locked up.
Payment in the thread
An M-Pesa or card payment link through Paystack or Flutterwave goes out in the chat, and the receipt follows automatically.
Your team picks up anytime
Every message sits in the shared inbox, so a stylist can take over with the full history in front of her.
Message types
What you can send on the official API
The API gives you message formats the free app does not.
Approved templates
Messages you can send first, such as booking confirmations, reminders, receipts and offers, once Meta has approved them.
Buttons and lists
Customers tap a time, a service or a branch instead of typing, which keeps the conversation short.
Payment links
An invoice or payment link for M-Pesa or card, created in the chat through Paystack or Flutterwave.
Media and documents
Price lists as PDF, photos of your work, menus and a location pin to your shop.
Side by side
The WhatsApp Business app against DMly on the official API
Where most Kenyan businesses start, and what changes when they move.
In short
What you get on day one
Capabilities, not promises.
1 number
The number your customers already know, with the app still on your phone through co-existence.
24/7
The AI agent answers questions and takes bookings while the shop is shut.
M-Pesa
Payment links through Paystack or Flutterwave, sent and paid inside the chat.
0 apps
Nothing for customers to download. They stay in WhatsApp.
Read next
Guides for Kenyan businesses moving to the API
Guide
How to get the WhatsApp Business API in Kenya
The steps in the right order, what Meta asks for, and the mistakes that slow people down.
Guide
What WhatsApp messages cost in Kenya, in shillings
Meta's per-message rates in US dollars and shillings, with worked examples.
Feature
Broadcasts on the official API
Send offers and updates to opted-in customers and see what came back.
Feature
Payments in the chat
Invoices and payment links for M-Pesa and card through Paystack or Flutterwave.
Why DMly
Why businesses in Kenya choose DMly
Your customers already message you on WhatsApp and pay by M-Pesa. DMly puts both in one place, with costs explained in shillings before you send.
01The official WhatsApp API, on your numberDMly runs on Meta's official WhatsApp Business API with your own number, and co-existence keeps the WhatsApp Business app working on your phone.
02M-Pesa and card in the chatSend payment links and invoices through Paystack or Flutterwave, whichever you enable. DMly adds no fee, and receipts go out automatically.
03Every channel, one inboxWhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and website chat, answered by one team with assignment, notes and full history.
04Message costs you can seeMeta bills Kenya at its Rest of Africa rate: about KSh 2.92 per delivered marketing message and about KSh 0.52 for utility. DMly adds nothing on top.
05Opt-in and STOP built inBroadcasts go to customers who opted in, and STOP replies are honoured on every channel, which helps you respect the Data Protection Act, 2019.
06Set up with you, freeOur team gets on a video call, connects your channels, builds your first flows and helps with Meta business verification at no cost.
Questions
WhatsApp Business API in Kenya: common questions
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in Kenya?
Two parts. Your DMly plan, from US$29 a month, billed in US dollars. Then Meta's per-message charges at the Rest of Africa rate: US$0.0225 (about KSh 2.92) for a marketing message and US$0.004 (about KSh 0.52) for utility or authentication. Incoming messages are free and DMly adds nothing to Meta's rates.
Can I keep my current WhatsApp number?
Yes. DMly connects the number you already use. With co-existence, the WhatsApp Business app keeps working on your phone while your team replies from DMly.
Do I need a registered business to use the API?
You can connect your number and start without verification. To verify, Meta asks for proof that your business exists, which in Kenya usually means your BRS registration documents and KRA PIN. Verification lets you start conversations with more than 250 customers a day.
Will my number get banned on the API?
The official API is Meta's permitted route, so you are not breaking WhatsApp's rules by using it. Keep your number in good standing by messaging only people who opted in, using approved templates and honouring STOP.
Can I send promotions to my customers?
Yes, as marketing templates sent to customers who opted in. Under the Kenya Data Protection Act you need consent before marketing, and anyone who replies STOP is removed from future broadcasts.
Who helps me with Meta's setup?
Our team does, on a video call, at no cost. We go through the number connection, display name and business verification with you.
Put your WhatsApp number on the official API
Seven days free, no card needed. Our team sets it up with you on a video call.