This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
On October 23, 2019, Safaricom PLC made a significant move in the telecommunication industry by launching non-expiry data bundles and airtime. The move is aimed at retaining existing subscribers and attracting new customers.
The 33 million Safaricom users can now purchase non-expiry airtime and data bundles for as low as one shilling, with the option to get double talk time and bundles for the amount.
This move comes just after a lawyer and ICT Specialist, Adrian Kamotho, sued telcos over the expiry of data and loss of unused internet bundles.
According to the Communication Authority's quarter 4 statistics released in September 2019, Safaricom's subscribers dropped to 31.1 million from 31.84 million, resulting in a loss of market share from 65.4% to 63.5% as Telkom Kenya gained 0.2%.
Speaking during the launch, the acting Safaricom CEO, Michael Joseph, stated that the company supports a liberalized market, equal opportunities, and fair competition, and that's why they are consistently launching innovative products to satisfy market demand.