This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Kenya, Safaricom has stepped up to support the country's healthcare workers. The telco has announced a comprehensive care package that will include free internet bundles and airtime, aimed at making their work easier.
According to Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, the package will be part of the healthcare workers' comprehensive care package. This initiative comes on the heels of a 70 percent surge in data usage reported by Safaricom, including a 40 percent jump in mobile phone data usage. The trend was also recorded in the home fibre segment, as people continue to obey the government's stay at home directive.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had last month shut down schools and asked people to work from home where possible, after the country recorded its first case of COVID-19. Safaricom has also contributed close to Sh10 million for thermal scanners and helped in expanding the country's screening capabilities.
