This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
On August 6, 2020, Telkom Kenya announced that it was no longer pursuing a merger with Airtel Kenya Networks Limited.
According to Telkom Chief Executive Officer Mugo Kibati, the company had mutually agreed with Airtel Networks Kenya Limited to abandon the merger plans.
As a result, Telkom has withdrawn its earlier statement regarding the planned redundancies of over 500 employees, which was issued on July 31, 2019.
Instead, Telkom will focus on accelerating digital transformation, leveraging the recent dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic to position its infrastructure asset base and services for the future.
With the launch of Loon, a 4G-enabling balloon service in partnership with Alphabet, Telkom now has the potential to expand its internet subscription by 4.8 million users.
As of December, Telkom Kenya accounted for 6.2 percent of the local mobile telecom subscribers' market, behind second-placed Airtel with a 25.9 percent market share.
