Telkom subscribers who sign-up for the operator’s new daily data offerings will now be treated to extra data bundles at night, chats on WhatsApp at no extra cost and make Telkom to Telkom call without additional charges. The data bundles which are billed and expire within 24 hours from the time of subscription are packaged as Daily 500MB and Daily 2GB, both of which are available on the 4G network. Subscribers will enjoy these freebies as long as they have a 4G enabled line as well a 4G device.

Here is what you’ll get when you subscribe to either of Telkom Kenya’s daily data bundles;

Subscribers who opt for the 500MB daily data billed at KES. 49 will receive additional 500MB data to be used between 12am and 6am, free minutes for Telkom to Telkom calls as well as 50MB free data to be used on WhatsApp chats. On the other hand, for those who subscribe to the 2GB option costing KES. 99 will get an extra 2GB night data, 60 free minutes and 50MB free WhatsApp.

Speaking on the development, Telkom Kenya’s CEO, Mugo Kibati, noted that the new bundles had been innovatively designed to meet unique needs Telkom’s subscribers, in line with the telco’s goal of building a holistic network that delivers value, fast speeds, capacity, quality and reliability.

He also added that the reason behind their innovative offering evolved behind its 4G network with an aim to let subscribers enjoy fastest speeds on their network across the country. Telkom Kenya has recently embarked on an aggressive adventure to upgrade it’s 4G network coverage countrywide and offer fast download and upload speeds to its subscribers.

How to Qualify for Telkom Kenya’s free night bundles when you subscribe to daily data offerings;

• Must have a 4GB enabled Sim Card and a 4G enabled device
• Dial *544# to subscribe
• Data bundles will be automatically renewed but subscribers have an option to cancel

The launch of new daily data bundles comes after the mobile service provider unveiled the Telkom All-Network-Bundles, on which subscribers can make calls for as low as Sh1.50 cents per minute. The bundles, cost between Sh19 for a daily bundle and Sh499 for a 30-day bundle.

Free data bundles hardly come our way for those who are stuck on Safaricom’s mobile network even though the competition has really gone out of its way to appeal to hungry data customers. This has been the case considering most of us find Safaricom’s relatively reliable and fast 4^th generation network coupled by the most used mobile money service – Mpesa hard to abandon. While this has been the case, Kenya’s largest technology giant unveiled a reward scheme that will see customers purchasing the All in One Monthly Bundles enjoy additional 5 Gigabytes of YouTube for free, valid for 30 days. Whether it’s just meant to encourage consumers to opt for monthly data plans rather than daily or weekly plans, coming from the mobile subscriber is definitely a big deal.  

Safaricom Subscribers can utilize the free 5 GB data to stream their favorite videos on YouTube right on their mobile phones at any time of the day and their data usage will not be deducted from their monthly bundle. The offer is expected to run up until 5th July 2019.

Speaking on the offer, Safaricom’s Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge noted that Kenyans were increasingly turning to video consumption on the internet, with music, comedy, news and sports emerging as the most popular online video content in the country. She concluded that to meet this demand, Safaricom was providing its subscribers with additional 5 GB free data to be used on streaming videos from YouTube at any time of the day within a month. She also added that the company was seeking to expand its network countrywide to ensure Kenyans have access to strong, reliable and superfast 4G+ coverage wherever they may be.

While data consumption in the country continue to surge forward, Safaricom has been expanding its network to meet this growing need. On 3rd May 2019 for example, Safaricom announced that it would double its 4G and 4G+ coverage by rolling out extra 2,000 base stations across the country, covering more than 600 towns. According to the company’s statistics, this will bring 4G and 4G+ base stations to about 5,000.

How to get free 5GB data bundle for YouTube Streaming on Safaricom network

Safaricom’s Monthly Bundles which were unveiled on February 2019 allows subscribers to choose a package that bundles all their communication needs (data, voice, SMS) at one, predictable price point. The bundles enable customers to call and text cross all networks at discounted prices.

• To get free data bundle for YouTube streaming, Safaricom subscribers must purchase any of the following monthly bundles costing; KES 1,000, KES 2,000, KES 3,000, KES 5,000 and KES 10,000

Safaricom’s All in one bundles;

• 4 GB and 200 minutes for Ksh 1,000 per month
• 12 GB and 600 minutes for Ksh 2,000 per month
• 20 GB and 900 minutes for Ksh 3,000 per month
• 35 GB and 1,500 minutes for Ksh 5,000 per month
• 50 GB and 3,500 minutes for Ksh 10,000. per month

BuuPass has slowly transitioned from just a bus ticket agent to offering convenience and simple ticket booking platform that is now covering more than just one operator. Let’s be honest, the only time I sought services from BuuPass was during the December holidays when demand for travelling tickets from various operators were scarce and was in dire need of their assistance, which came in pretty handy I must say. Well, the service has now partnered with Safaricom to allow payments via Mpesa through their online portal or an SSD Code. Technology has been the answer to so many inconveniences and we must comment BuuPass for it’s dedication to see that some of us especially those who come from distant upcountry places in Kenya are not disadvantaged.

While at the time of this writing the service was available with five bus operators including Easy Coach, Modern Coast, Greenline, Palmers and East African Shuttles, the service is expected to add more than 20 additional operators by the end of the year. Customers can access the service by dialing *877# and at buupass.com with payments accepted through M-PESA.

Speaking on the development, Safaricom’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer Rita Okuthe said the partnership between Safaricom and BuuPass sought to extend the convenience of M-PESA by empowering their customers to book a bus ticket wherever they may be and at their luxury. She also added that both Safaricom and BuuPass see a prospect in linking bus companies to opportunities by providing them with a solution to manage customer ticketing and cashless payments.

From the BuuPass app, customers can select a bus operator, preferred travel date and time, and reserve specific seat numbers.  Customers can also reserve seats for multiple travelers, with tickets printed at the bus station after presentation of the confirmation SMS. The mode of operation is very different from that used by taxi hailing apps such as Uber.

“We are glad to partner with Safaricom to provide travelers with an easy and flexible solution to book and manage their journey. Our platform similarly provides bus companies with a bus and parcel management system where they can manage their fleet, have control over their operational costs, and effectively reach more travelers and in turn sell more seats through our marketplace,” said Sonia Kabra, Co-founder and Director – BuuPass.  

The service seeks a slice of the local inter-city transport industry estimated to be worth more than KES 100 billion annually but which is also characterized by low uptake of technology and digital solutions. The two firms have been working on the bus ticketing solution for more than a year and have already sold more than 80,000 tickets across more than 100 routes.

Some of the most popular destinations among travelers include Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Migori and Bondo. Safaricom and BuuPass have similarly partnered on the online booking platform for the Standard Gauge Railway.

How to book a bus ticket thorugh BuuPass SSD Code *877# and Pay via Mpesa

• You can book for a bus ticket through BuuPass by simply pressing *877#  on your phone
• You’ll be presented with a list of current enrolled buses to choose from i.e Easy Coach, Modern Coast and so forth
• After you’ve chosen the preferred bus, you’ll then need to choose where you are departing from such as Nairobi followed by your destination. Please note only places that are operated by the selected bus will be shown.
• Enter the day of travel from the menu, you can choose today, tomorrow or enter appropriate date
• Choose time of travel from available options
• Select Bus followed by seat number
• You’ll be asked to enter full names, followed by identification details such as ID/passport number
• After making the necessary payment, you’ll be issued by a confirmation message that can be presented at the office location to print the physical ticket.

By now most Kenyans must be wondering which loan apps are truly genuine and intended to expand their financial needs from those that are business oriented. Well the above statement will remain lingering around for some time, but at least we can gauge some of them from how they are managed and their primary source. For a start, we can never be so hopeful after the Kenyan Central bank entered the fray with a mobile loan facility dubbed ‘Stawi’ focusing on the small and medium scale enterprises. The Stawi Loan facility has been made possible courtesy of five commercial banks; that is the Commercial Bank of Africa, Cooperative Bank of Kenya, Diamond Trust Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank and MC Group Limited.

The Stawi Loan facility is targeting small and medium scale enterprises by enhancing their access to a credit facility which might have not been available to them through normal formal schemes. Though the scheme is only in its pilot phase, it presents us with some of innovative technology inventions in the informal financial sector by encouraging small and medium sized enterprises to access credit despite the informal nature of their businesses. Kenya’s economy is driven by the Juakali sector which also is the largest employer in the country even though it lacks access to important loan facilities from banks that demand financial records, security and collateral for loan consideration.

How Stawi loan app is managed

While launching the loan facility, Central Bank of Kenya Governor Dr. Patrick Njoroge said the facility would initially by accessible from five banks including Diamond Trust Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, MC Group Limited, Commercial Bank of Africa and Cooperative Bank of Kenya. Customers can access the loan facility through a mobile phone application currently available on the google play store. After a successful loan application through the Stawi Loan App, the loan amount will then be credited in the customer’s wallet. Customers can access Stawi loans from Ksh30,000 up to Ksh250,000 with a repayment plan of 1 to 12 months at an interest rate of 9 percent per annum. Customers will then be scored and advised of their credit limit and will be eligible for a top up loan if they’ve repaid at least 80% of their current loan.  

During the launch event at Gikomba market, CBK Governor Dr. Patrick Njoroge said the facility became necessary to cater for the unique financing needs of small and medium sized enterprises. He noted that the sector is key to Kenya’s economy and the product couldn’t have been unveiled at a more opportune time. He also added that until now, offering credit to these businesses had been hindered by lack of reliable information to ascertain their creditworthiness. Stawi’s innovation will therefore utilize on the customer to fill up the gap, he continued.

How to register for the Stawi Loan Facility

Unlike most android based loan apps, Stawi loan app registration has been simplified and does not involve the ambiguity seen in former apps. All you have to do is follow below simple steps;

• Download Stawi app from the google play store here on your android device
• Click on “OPEN YOUR ACCOUNT” to register
• Provide your mobile phone number
• Then either of the following; Kenyan Identification number (ID), valid Kenyan passport number, alien ID
• Enter your valid business permit/license followed by,
• A valid email address
• You’ll receive a text notification confirming your registration

How to reset Stawi loan app PIN

Just incase you forget your Stawi account PIN, while in the app menu items,

• Select “FORGOT PIN”
• Enter the details you provided during registration and preferred new PIN then click on “NEXT”
• A onetime four-digit password will be sent to your number
• Click on “VERIFY” and new login pin will be reset successfully.

How to request/apply for a Stawi Loan

• Login into the Stawi app with your credentials
• From the menu items, select “MY LOAN”
• Then click on “REQUEST LOAN” then proceed
• Accept the loan offer to facilitate disbursement otherwise disbursement will not be done.

How to Repay Stawi loan

• Login into the Stawi app with your credentials
• From the menu items, select “MANAGE”
• Then click on “MY STAWI ACCOUNT” then Click on “PAY LOAN” then proceed
• Enter the repayment amount and then complete the payment.