Safaricom, one of the leading telecommunications companies in Kenya, has now stretched its coverage of the fifth-generation network across the whole of the country’s 47 counties. Notable in the increase is the rise in the number of sites to 1,114 from 803 sites in March of this year with the announcement of its 311th new site in the last four months. This phase will be the key in increasing internet connectivity as the force behind digital transformation in Kenya.

The Safaricom 5G network is now available to cover about 14% of the country’s population, with sites in 102 towns. This wide coverage enabled a very high number of 5G smartphones to be put into use: 780,000 in total, with 11,000 of those utilized by enterprise customers. The expansion points to a rising demand for fast connectivities in Kenya, even as many more people and enterprises look to 5G technology as a better way to improve their connectivities and hence productivity.

Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO, explained how the company has engaged in ensuring it maintains leadership in Kenya’s digital transformation. He said, “Safaricom remains committed to leading Kenya’s digital transformation through the provision of a worry-free, always-on ubiquitous network enabling access to information, critical services and communication, therefore bridging the digital divide.” This probably explains the ambition with which Safaricom has undertaken to foster technological improvements and innovation across the country.

Strategic expansion by Safaricom has seen them outwit their main competitor, Airtel, in the rollout of 5G sites. As of March, Safaricom activated 803 5G sites, outpacing Airtel’s 690 sites. This is a huge turnaround from the last year when it was hell-bent with 370 sites compared to Safaricom’s 205. A further look at the bold expansion at Safaricom shows that it has set up an additional 909 sites within a year.

This goes on as Safaricom has ushered in a fast-paced ambition of having over 1,700 sites on its 5G network by March 2025. This will complement the company’s ambition to stay at the pinnacle of the fast-growing telecommunications market. According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, 5G mobile data subscribers in the country surged 74% in total numbers to 653,716 users by March 2024 from 373,537 posted the previous year. This trend is showing an increasing appetite for high-speed internet, driven by fast-advancing technologies.

However, the take-up level of the 5G technology will face some challenges, with the biggest challenge being the cost to both the devices and data bundles. Though it is faster than the available 4G network right now, 5G requires very high-quality smartphones and very expensive data plans, hence making it out of reach to the majority. This, therefore, calls for ways in which the obstacles will be overcome to assure Safaricom and other stakeholders that 5G is taken up on a wider scale.

In a deal poised to revolutionize travel safety in Kenya, leading digital insurance platform mTek joined BuuPass in offering insurance coverage for travel seamlessly integrated into the ticket booking process. This provides travelers with financial protection and support in the case of accidents or medical emergencies that might occur in the course of their journey, thus greatly improving their general travel experience and security.

The partnership, according to mTek CEO Bente Krogmann, excites him because it aligns with their vision of giving accessible and comprehensive insurance solutions to all. The integration simplifies the procedure whereby customers can now select insurance coverage and pay for it easily in the BuuPass platform.

According to BuuPass CEO Sonia Kabra, this partnership is a significant milestone towards ensuring an enhanced travel experience in East Africa. With this move, BuuPass is better positioned to protect travelers by integrating mTek’s insurance products, thus giving clients peace of mind and added security along their journey.

While public transport remains the most applied mode of movement in Kenya, buses remain the most preferred for up-country travels. With a surge in the number of accidents recorded, reaching 9,960 in 2023 alone, the question of reliable travel insurance has never been more pressing. This partnership by mTek and BuuPass provides a technological solution to this by giving full coverage against any eventuality so that when traveling, passengers are confident and well-covered.

Murang’a County Government will roll out telemedicine services between now and September 2019. This shall revolutionize the delivery of health services via technology. The service shall be piloted in 44 selected health facilities using available Internet infrastructure to diagnose and treat patients from a distance.

Telemedicine allows treatment to be carried out right from the comfort of patients’ homes, hence avoiding the hassle involved therein and has, therefore, made access to health care much easier. It is really useful for management of noncommunicable and chronic diseases as patients can access contact with specialized doctors and consult them virtually.

Speaking at a telemedicine conference, Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the introduction of the new service will ensure that Murang’a hospitals, with its levels of 4 and 5, are not congested. Under the pilot program, each sub-county ward is anticipated to last six months for links to the telemedicine program through one of its health facilities. Other targets under the innovation include continuous training of the medical workers and sensitizing members of the public so that the information regarding the new technology should be widely known and used.

He said that all 160 health facilities in Murang’a are now fully automated, therefore more efficient and accessible by patients. It further reiterated that the county is using solar energy in health facilities to avoid the interruption of services at health facilities as a barrier to care due to power blackouts.

The telemedicine initiative is part of a broad package for the modernization of health services in Murang’a and includes introducing drones for medical deliveries, mobile applications for e-consultations, and the latest medical equipment such as e-theaters and dialysis machines. During the conference, donors offered 200 glucometers and 50 digital tablets to support the activity.

Already, the automation has seen a county like Murang’a Level 5 hospital monthly revenue rise from Sh1.6 million to Sh6 million. Maragua Level 4 hospital’s automation has also increased the daily uptake from Sh60,000 to Sh200,000, with all the revenue set to re-channel the services.

The telemedicine initiative is a county government initiative in collaboration with several partners, key among them being BYON8 Company and Healthx Africa. These partners are experts in linking patients to the use of telemedicine, which is a technology that is largely applied in private healthcare and in developed countries. Murang’a will be the very first county in Kenya to implement telemedicine services in public health facilities; it implies significant strides toward decentralized and digital healthcare.

Mobius Motors Kenya, an automaker that was to provide versatile vehicles for Kenya’s challenging terrains, reached the end of the road Friday after 13 years. It announced its voluntary liquidation due to a lack of funding.

“Our shareholders have not given us new capital,” said Michael de Souza, Mobius commercial director. The company had tried to find new investors but did not succeed, hence the decision to close down. A shortage of vehicles due to the funding shortfall hurt sales.

Founded in 2011 by British entrepreneur Joel Jackson, Mobius earned its stripes in 2015 with Mobius I, a hardcore, cheap SUV for African roads. The company had big plans to increase output and conquer at least two more East African markets: Uganda and Tanzania. This was snatched a few days ago when shareholders agreed to liquidate the company in line with the Insolvency Act.

“At a meeting of the shareholders held on 5-Aug-2024, it was resolved to place the company under liquidation,” said Nicolas Guibert, Mobius’ CEO.
In 2018, KRA claimed Sh85.74 million in taxes from Mobius, dealing the firm another blow to its financial health. The company lost the case after filing an appeal. The financial statement for Mobius showed huge liabilities and a shareholder deficit, thus highly vulnerable.

Mobius did not stop there. It unveiled the Mobius III in 2021 at a cost of $43 000, a price increase of $13,000 from its predecessor, the Mobius II. The vehicle had, however, been fitted with extra features. The challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, made it hard for the company to sustain its operation.

The creditors are set to meet next week to vote for the appointment of KVSK Sastry as the liquidator—marking the end to the journey of Mobius in Kenya.

A new wave of competition in the Internet market is bringing down its prices and making the economy more reachable for consumers. The shift has been partly fueled by the aggressive entry of commercial satellite Internet players like Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has thrown a challenge at traditional Internet service providers and compelled leading telcos to rethink their data pricing models.

On Monday, Airtel Kenya announced a new campaign that offered free data to clients who joined the firm’s network with new smartphones or those who upgraded from feature phones. Dubbed “GB kwa GB”, every week, 1GB of free data is given for six months after a minimum weekly airtime top-up of Sh50 has been made. The offer is aimed at fast-tracking the digital revolution in Kenya.

This is after Starlink reduced the price of its equipment to Sh29,999 from the initial Sh89,000, a second reduction in three months since its launch in the country.

It’s something ISPs will have to get used to, or be squeezed out by market forces, analysts say. What’s happening is that the satellite providers and other vendors are bringing a bit of market liberalization, giving consumers choices that drag down prices for everyone, says Gathirwa Irungu, a software engineer based in Nairobi.

“Consumers are driven primarily by prices,” says Irungu. “The emerging dynamics will force any provider to either develop or leave, leading to lower prices throughout the market.”

This kind of competition, and the subsequent reduction in prices, is likely to further enhance digital accessibility, driving economic growth and new business opportunities in Kenya.

Elon Musk’s Starlink is taking a last-gasp attempt at the Kenyan market with price cuts for the second time in three months to nibble at Safaricom’s dominance in the internet provision market. According to Starlink’s website, hardware costs have been slashed to KSh 29,999 from KSh 45,000, a price valid until mid-August.

When Starlink entered the Kenyan market last July, the kits were KSh 89,000, the second most expensive across six African markets. The high cost scared away many potential customers, as a full setup could hit KSh 100,000 with monthly subscription fees of KSh 6,500.

In a new scheme, Starlink will include a cheaper 50GB data plan at KSh 1,300 in an attempt to break into the space that Safaricom and Airtel dominate. Much of the appeal is in its ability to provide high-speed, low-latency internet in many rural or remote areas.

Since its introduction, Starlink has increased satellite internet subscriptions in Kenya by 64% from December to March, raising the number of users to 4,808. This increase threatens to heat up competition for local providers like Vizocom, Telkom’s Skynet, NTvsat, and Globaltt, while Safaricom said it was planning to make forays into the satellite Internet market.

For instance, Starlink occupies a unique niche in the context of connecting smartphones to satellites in coverage gaps, making it a rather competitive player in the changing Internet landscape of Kenya.