This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On December 7, 2019, Eaton Towers, a tower infrastructure firm, took drastic measures to resolve a long-standing debt dispute with Telkom Kenya. The company switched off Telkom Kenya's 49 telecommunications sites, impacting 70 base transmitter stations and affecting several customers across the country.
According to a directive signed by the Acting Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Mercy Wanjau, Telkom Kenya was required to seek and obtain written approval from the Authority before interrupting or suspending services. The Authority also asked Telkom Kenya and Eaton Towers to follow established dispute resolution mechanisms set in the Master Tower Agreement.
Despite the Authority's order for Eaton Towers to restore services by midnight on December 13, 2019, or risk regulatory sanctions, the company has yet to comply. The Authority has directed Telkom Kenya to clear the debt owed to Eaton Towers Kenya as soon as possible.
The CA is scheduled to meet the two parties on December 20, 2019, to review the progress on the matter. The Competition Authority of Kenya has also been engaging with regulators and stakeholders to facilitate the receipt of necessary approvals and conditionalities for the Telkom-Airtel merger.
