Kenya’s Safaricom denies lobbying govt on MTR

The Star in Nairobi reports that mobile network operator, Safaricom has denied claims that it has urged the country’s government to put a stop on further reduction of Mobile Terminal Rates (MTR).

The CCK is at the centre of growing speculation over the reduction of MTR in Kenya. (Image: File)

MTR is the amount operators pay their competitors for connecting a call.

According the report last month the President’s office had issued Kenya’s Communication Commission (CCK) with an instruction to halt the planned rate reduction – reportedly in favour of Safaricom’s view to conduct a new cost study first.

Safaricom Chairman Nicholas Ng’ang’a is quoted as saying, “About the intervention, we do not know. We have nothing to do with how this was handled,”

An earlier plan by the CCK aimed to gradually reduce the rate. Safaricom and Telkom Orange had lobbied for a stop on the MTR reduction, stating that it was negatively impacting on industry’s revenues.

Staff Writer