A parliamentary inquiry into allegations that Safaricom Plc improperly used copyrighted materials from Transcend Media Group Limited remains unresolved, with the telecom giant and government officials yet to address specific questions about a 2016 tender process.
Nominated Member of National Assembly Godfrey Osotsi raised four queries in April 2022 directed at Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i, focusing on a 2016 Request for Proposal (RFP) for creative and digital services. Transcend Media claimed Safaricom unlawfully utilized its copyrighted proposal, which included registered works like "Kenya Speaks Safaricom" and "Youth Assets Communication Strategy," filed with the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) in May 2016.
The media firm alleges Safaricom transferred its designs to Saracen Media Limited and Fieldstone Helms Limited, which rebranded the project as "Blaze Kenya." A 2021 inquiry (inquiry number 14) by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reportedly failed to enforce summons against Safaricom, according to a June 2022 Twitter post by Kenyan Business Feed citing Osotsi’s questions.
"Could the Cabinet Secretary explain the status of investigations into a complaint raised by Ms Transcend Media Group against Ms Safaricom Limited for theft of copyright arising out of a tender floated by Safaricom Limited in 2016...?" — Kenyan Business Feed (@KenyanBusyFeed), June 3, 2022
Transcend Media has not received compensation for its intellectual property, while Safaricom faces parallel litigation over similar claims, including a dispute with Kibo Capital Group Limited regarding the M-PESA Bill Manager service. Industry analysts warn that repeated copyright disputes could harm corporate reputation and innovation, with IP Watch stating that intellectual property theft discourages creators from sharing ideas without proper compensation.
