The East African Business Week reports that the Bharti Airtel takeover of Warid Telecom has been met with mixed response from Warid customers.
There is reportedly concern amongst customers about maintaining numbers and missing out on products available on the Warid network.
Fred Otunnu, Head of Communications at the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), is said to have allayed the fears of customers and said, “”Customers should not worry and that (what will happen to Warid Telecom subscribers) should not be an issue. The regulator will make sure that customers’ are protected.”
In an interview with East African Business Week, Otunnu confirmed that the Regulator would conduct a comprehensive review of the technical, finance and business models of the two companies before granting a transfer of license.
Manoj Kohli,MDand global CEO, Bharti Airtel, is quoted as saying, “”We are delighted at this agreement with Warid, which also happens to be the first in-market acquisition in Bharti Airtel’s history. We believe this market consolidation offers great synergies by bringing together the best of Airtel and Warid to better serve customers in Uganda and drive forward our vision of offering affordable best in-class services in Africa.”
Staff Writer
