A LETTER TO BOB COLLYMORE

If you are a SAFARICOM mobile subscriber, then you are living in an abusive relationship

Safaricom is the largest network carrier in Kenya controlling the largest market share and providing an array of products and services. Allegedly, the mobile network is seeking for a licence to launch a TV cable network. The company has made numerous discoveries that have become inevitable in the day-to-day lives of many Kenyans such as M-pesa among others. It has the best and beneficial CSR such as the Kenya for Kenya initiative which pulled Kenyans together in helping the hunger stricken areas. Additionally, without safaricom our artists could be still wandering on the streets selling their DVD's but it saved them these agonies through "Skiza tunes" and numerous concerts.

However, Safaricom has totally taken advantage of their monopoly and the control of the market irregardless of the regulations.To begin with, it offers the most expensive rates among all the mobile networks in Kenya. One would ask why don't we ditch it and switch to another network but M-pesa is a basic need in our country. It is better than Wi-Fi, Pizza, and second from beer. We pay all our bills via the service from power, water, fees, shopping, banking, and even money transfer services. Secondly, Safaricom inconveniences their customers at will. With the high number of people using this network, it is unethical to wake up one morning and the services are not working just like the 24th of April 2015, yesterday. Just imagine of a traveler who was in Eldoret, he is a total stranger and was loaded with cash in M-pesa as bus fare and for consumption. He immediately turned to be a beggar and a confused fellow after the systems went down. Think of a cousin from Bungoma who had come to Nairobi to visit his uncle for the first time. Upon arriving the famous Machakos Bus Terminus, the mobile services went down, he just remained stranded. I think Boniface Mwangi yyou should rally all the affected victims to Safaricom house chanting #RudishaM-pesaGermany.

Thirdly, internet is becoming an essential thing in this country as we check our social sites, emails, and blog from any point of the country. Safaricom internet is soon appearing among the FORBES 100 most expensive things. Owning a monthly subscription is similar to going for a vacation in Zanzibar or Madagascar. They give promotions but they are full of restrictions, limitations and promotional data is the slowest. I wonder why they have to award you and ensure that it is the slowest. Safaricom at some point wishes to act as the regulator that can limit the number of subscribers in the country referring to the Equitel saga.

All in all, with those fundamental issues among other zillion complains known by the consumer, Safaricom still commands the market. We can fuel with M-pesa even if the petrol stations cautions us against using mobile phones in the perimeter. Any moment you wish to quit the network, it coins a new invention such as Okoa Stima and now drunks are campaigning for Okoa Pombe. I just feel someone somewhere needs to up his/her game and know that the customer is ALWAYS right!!!!!

Bwana Bob, as your name suggests, let the rates drop to one shilling, internet should be cheaper and efficient. Efficiency is an integral thing is a service provider organization.