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How to stop all promotional text messages on Airtel Kenya network

Spamming people’s inboxes is almost getting out of control here in Kenya, just a few years back, we could honestly enjoy carrying around a phone and only expect very important messages and calls only. In fact, there were some instances people could sign-up to some online service that would send messages at randomly so people could see you also have active contact lists.

Today, the reality is quite different, within a day, a normal Kenyan can expect to receive in excess of ten promotional messages on some items that even don’t make sense to them. While there are some apps such as Truecaller that assist in curbing some of these spammers, unfortunately they are evolving everyday with different numbers that make it impossible to fully block them without shutting out genuine messages.

While there are apps to do this for you, blocking on a network level has always been my choice since they’ll remain blocked even when changing mobile phones. Airtel Kenya has a simple feature that can help its subscribers to block all promotional messages so they can relax and only expect genuine alerts from their friends and family.

How to block all promotional messages on Airtel Kenya network

  • The USSD code method is unfortunately only available to prepaid customers
  • Postpaid customers can request by sending an email to [email protected]
  • On your mobile phone, dial *100#
  • Then select Manage My Account
  • Followed by Stop Promotional SMS

Please also note this process is not instant and will be processed within 24 hours

Covid-19 fees waiver on cashless transaction cost KCB Bank 2.2 billion on MPESA

Subsidies unveiled by the government last year to cushion Kenyans from the effects of the corona virus have already started showing their impact on businesses in the financial sector. As a way to encourage cashless transactions, the government through the CBK removed fees on mobile money transactions to and from bank accounts. As a result, these guidelines have cost Kenya’s biggest financial institution at least a few billion Kenyan Shillings.

Data released from KCB’s financial results indicate the lender took a hit of at least 2.16 billion shillings occasioned by waiver on mobile money transaction fees during the peak of the pandemic period last year. The Central Bank of Kenya issued several guidelines in an effort to curb the spread of the virus including zero-rating transaction fees on certain amounts. The move was aimed at discouraging cash handling, an activity that was deemed to be at the core of the virus spread in the country.

KCB disclosed that revenues from mobile banking dropped by 22 percent to Ksh. 7.71 billion, a figure that came short due to lack of revenue from fees charged on moving money between mobile money wallets such as from bank to MPESA and vice versa. After the Covid-19 was reported in Kenya, and the country entered int a lockdown that saw schools, business and many other organizations close down for the duration.  

The financial institution gets its revenues from various transactions such as withdrawals, deposits, as well as loan applications. There was a decline in profits even though, overall mobile transactions rose by 75.6 percent from Ksh. 616 billion to Ksh. 1.08 trillion. These numbers were encouraged by lack of transaction fees as advised by the government.

Tecno Camon 17 specs leaked, it’ll come with 6GB RAM and a hole-punch selfie

Over a couple of days, several devices have been leaked through the Google Play console before they are officially announced. This time, we got a glimpse of the next iteration of Tecno device expected to replace the good-old Tecno Camon 16. While the specs are a bit scanty at the moment, we just got almost everything we need from the leaked specs to know the amount of RAM it’ll have and the Soc that’ll power this handset.

Across the globe, Tecno Camon 17 might not elicit some excitement as is the case here in Kenya, the brand has grown to become a household name and most Kenyans actually love it for the price. During the Camon 16 event last year, the company unveiled a total of four devices, with some carrying iterations such as Premier, 16S, 16Pro and just Camon 16. And we do also expect the company to unveil a number of devices with almost similar specifications during the Tecno Camon 17 event.

From what has already been spotted on the Google Play Console, we now know exactly how the new devices are going to look like. From the leaked specs, Tecno Camon 17 will come with a screen resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels at 320ppi, which is a little disappointing since we expected the company to move away from meagre resolutions to something above HD+.

Additionally, the handset will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G70 SoC coupled with 6GB RAM. This is inline with current trends and we are excited to see a decent amount of RAM that will be essential for those who intent to do lots of multitasking.  

It’ll also come with android 11 under the hood, a vertically-aligned camera setup on the back, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 3.5mm headphone. Although there’s some confusion on the size of battery, we expect the company to settle for a 5,000mAh battery.

Telkom Kenya revamps Mzito bundles with more data and reduced voice minutes

When it comes to data bundles, Telkom Kenya has had some of the best offers in the industry thus far, the telco has further revamped its Mzito bundles in what it calls as built with customer needs in mind. From the revised bundles, subscribers are set to get more data allocation as well as non-expiry bundles. Telkom Kenya says the decision was influenced by increased mobile data consumption especially by millennials.

Since the Corona virus pandemic happened early in 2020, Kenyan companies advised their staff to work from home as a way to practice social distancing aimed at curbing its spread. And while most Kenyans lost their jobs back then, there has been an increase in online activities as more companies moved their services online. Kenyans are now opting to further their skills through online learning as well as shopping online for their favorite commodities.

New Mzito bundles from Telkom Kenya

Mzito 500Mzito 1000Mzito 2000
 CurrentNEWCurrentNEWCurrentNEW
Voice10050300150600400
Data3GB3GB8GB10GB17GB25GB
Validity30 daysNo Expiry30 daysNo Expiry30 days30 days
Call ratePAYGPAYGPAYGPAYGPAYGPAYG
PriceKsh. 500Ksh. 500Ksh. 1000Ksh. 1000Ksh. 2000Ksh. 2000

Speaking on the new bundle offers, Telkom Kenya’s Director of Marketing Eric Achola said the bundle combos were settled on after analyzing evolving and data needs of its customers. Achola continued by acknowledging that subscribers are keen to get affordable packages at the same time expecting a comprehensive offering that addresses dynamic needs such as browsing, downloading, streaming and updating their apps, actions that are now integral in everyday life.

In the new plan, customers who purchase Mzito 500 and 1000 bundles will not see them expire, giving them opportunity to fully utilize them. However, the Mzito 2000 bundle will still expire after 30 days. Before customers have exhausted their bundles, they’ll be allowed to purchase another bundle before the existing bundle expires, which will see a cumulative increase to their data and minutes.

How to get Mzito bundles

Telkom subscribers can opt in by simply dialing *544*1# or via the My Telkom App and My Account portal. T-Kash users can access the New Mzito bundles under the Data Bundles menu option, via *160#.

Huawei promoting the MatePad T8 as family friendly learning tablet, retailing at Ksh 16,499

Huawei is now promoting its MatePad tablet as a family friendly learning tablet here in Kenya. The tablet is currently retailing for Ksh 16,499 with some interesting gifts for customers who purchase it during the brand month. According to the tech giant, the tablet is a perfect companion on day to day reading experience of users. Additionally, it has built-in features designed to eliminate health issues associated with screen use.

With a growing demand for online based services, tablets have once again gained demand for users who want to consume media as well as access learning resources online. From our previous editorial, a report unveiled during Mastercard NICAF partnership to offer scholarships to African students found that most Kenyans used the lockdown period to further their studies online. Huawei is seeking to capitalize on this trend with its MatePad, pinpointing its unique features that make learning efficient such as eye-health dedicated features.

Under the hood, the MatePad comes with a dedicated chipset that helps with colour management. The module shifts colours depending on different content consumed on the tablet. This feature according to Huawei will aid in safeguarding eye-health while consuming content on the tablet, the component is hardly found on competitors alternatives. Additionally, the pad will change to different modes utilizing software algorithms that can give commands to the built-in colour adjustment module based on the data collected by the ambient light sensor, ultimately achieving the right eye protection results for all kinds of locations and lighting conditions.

And if you find yourself straining after spending hours on the tablet, you can simply head-over to the settings and toggle an eye comfort mode. You’ll be able to enjoy on-screen reading, thanks to a built-in display module that will adjust the RGB output to eliminate blue light that’s often associated with link deprivation.

How to request money from someone’s MPESA account using new MPESA app

Safaricom has introduced yet another nifty feature inside the new MPESA app that will allow users to directly request for cash from other users inside the app. Once a request has been initiated, the recipient will have a certain time frame to accept or reject the transaction. In case the request is accepted, the person who asked for the cash will have it deposited in their MPESA accounts.

This feature works similarly to how PayPal invoicing works, except its simpler and more straight-forward. Instead of having to call someone for cash, or if they owe you cash, you can simply just initiate the request from your app. It’s expected the new feature will favor entrepreneurs such as taxi drivers who can now just request for their fee right in the app, instead of having to let the rider do all the work.

How to request cash from someone’s MPESA account using the MPESA app

  • First, you’ll need to have the new MPESA App installed on your device
  • Head over to your respective store and search for MPESA; Play Store for android and App Store for iOS
  • Once its installed and configured, launch the app and tap on Send Money option
  • At the very top, you should see two options; SEND and REQUEST
  • To request cash from another person, tap on REQUEST
  • Next, enter the other person’s MPESA number
  • You could select from frequent contacts or search through your contact list
  • Once you’ve selected or entered their MPESA number, proceed to put the amount then your PIN number to confirm the transaction
  • The other person will see a request with two options; DECLINE or ACCEPT

Its still not clear how Safaricom will implement safety guards against abuse or accidental confirmation, given conmen are expected to use the same tactic from unsuspecting Kenyans.

Ride hailing app – Bolt bets on electric cars with addition on its fleet

Just days after the likes of KPLC and KenGen announced plans to build electric car charging points in various places here in Kenya, taxi hailing app – Bolt has now announced plans to introduce electric vehicles on its fleet. The move to vehicles that emit zero gases seems to be slowly taking shape here in Kenya, especially with the government reducing taxes on fully electric cars imported into the country.

According to Bolt, its adoption of electric vehicles is expected to boost its mission to climate friendly business. The taxi company says it will rollout eco-friendly vehicles here in Nairobi before expanding to other towns within the country. Currently, Nairobi city boasts of more electric cars on the road, more than any other town in the country. Some taxi companies such as Nopea Ride are also utilizing eco-friendly cars such as the Nissan Leaf.

Speaking on the move, Bolt Kenya country manager Ola Akinnusi acknowledged that introducing electric vehicles on its fleet would be a step forward in ensuring the company’s business practices are environmentally conscious in the city as well as its ecological footprint.  

Ola further said the company’s core business is to provide reliable, safe and affordable transportation services to everyone, and the latest development would make it smarter while offering Kenyans with options for a smarter city.

Nopea ride boats of 100 percent electric cars on its fleet, cutting down on carbon foot-print while also giving drivers more profits in reduced operational costs. While electric vehicles are still relatively expensive here in Kenya, the technology is by far more affordable than fuel.

New Telkom revised T-Kash transaction charges for 2021, Ksh 100 and below to remain zero

Telkom Kenya has revised T-Kash transaction charges that are expected to become effective on 5th March 2021. The new tariffs follow a pandemic period that saw most of cashless transactions below Ksh 1,000 zero-rated to provide a much-needed relief to Kenyans bearing the burden. Kenya’s financial regulator – CBK initiated several guidelines to encourage social distancing amongst them removing fees on mobile money transfers from person to person as well as between mobile wallets and banks.

In the new tariff, T-kash transactions from person to person amounting to less than Ksh 100 will not attract transaction fees. According to the telco, the new tariffs have already received a nod from the central bank of Kenya. the new tariffs are also relatively lower than those in place before the pandemic happened.

New T-Kash Transaction Charges

MinimumMaximumSend Money to Registered User
(T-kash & Other Networks)
Send Money to Unregistered User Customer Withdrawal at an Agent
149FreeN/AN/A
50100FreeN/A10
10150053626
5011,000124126
1,0011,500204626
1,5012,500326126
2,5013,500459348
3,5015,0005512065
5,0017,5006514580
7,50110,00085190105
10,00115,00090245155
15,00120,00090265175
20,00135,000100285185
35,00150,000100N/A265
50,001150,000100N/A295
Dial *160# to access T-kash Services

Daily transaction limit for any transaction has been retained at KSh150,000, while the sending limit capped at KSh300,000 per day. The total amount one can hold in their wallets is KSH 300, 000. Any transactions between KSh50,000 up to KSh300,000 will attract a rate of KSh100. All other fees remain unchanged.

Reports from the mobile service provider indicate that its exploring ways to enhance its digital financial services with T-Kash getting more attention in the coming weeks. Safaricom’s MPESA still holds unsurmountable lead in the sector and it’ll be interesting to see what Telkom will do to compete favorably.