Category Archives: Telkom Kenya

Safaricom goes VoIP

Safaricom and Celtel both received internet gateway licenses which will enables them to bypass Telkom on international calls.

While Celtel promises some good things for consumers in the future, Safaricom immediately launched 888 VoIP service with calling costs of 30 shillings per minute (to US, Canada, Australia, Europe, others) 40 (around East Africa) and 50 (to India, others) – all billed per second.

I have made a few calls and the quality is quite good. More details here on the service, including some rather harsh terms and conditions.

Who Cares?
Also today Safaricom cell phones started displaying location messages – You look at your phone screen and it says where you are at the moment e.g. “Nairobi West”, “Upper Hill”, and “City Center”.

Telkom’s Revenge?

Small piece in the Thursday Daily Nation about how Telkom Kenya will soon introduce CDMA mobile landline phones (made by Huawei of China) and these will work within 120km of one’s Nairobi home – and enable calls to be made to other landlines at about 4/= per minute, well below mobile rates of 20/=. So instead of carryting two phones (one safaricom, one celtel), some pople will carry one mobile, one landline and use whichever is appropriate or convenient

Tuju Da Vinci

No credit?

It seems former communications minister Raphael Tuju forgot/neglected to gazette the merry-go-round appointments of Sammy Kirui (CCK Director-General to Telkom Kenya MD) and John Waweru (Telkom Kenya MD to CCK DG). Their appointments have now been sambazed in by the new information and communications minister, Mutahi Kagwe, seven months later.

What’s the word

I am finally reading the Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, which appears on most peoples favourite book lists. So far it’s a great story and I am now around the part that takes place in a Swiss bank vault in Paris and has a mysterious funds transfer from the Vatican Bank.

The story reminded me of a book I read many years ago – The Word, by Irving Wallace, which was about the search for a mysterious scroll purported to be a first-hand account of the life of Jesus Christ (including his missing years from age 12 – 30) that was written by his brother James.

Telecommunications, ATM’s and foreign aid

Balancing Act

Balancing Act’s latest newsletter (No. 285) is a special issue on telecommunications developments in Kenya. Notable points include;
– Expect more ISP mergers (after Wananchi and ISPKenya)
– VoIP could cut the cost of international corporations communications costs from US$5,000 to US$700 a month.
– A looming financial crisis at Telkom could force the government to sell some shares in Safaricom to Vodafone or to the public via the Nairobi Stock Exchange.
– New call centers have difficulties finding people with the right voices to work there – and their preference for candidates who have had some international exposure.
– The jail sentence hanging over the head of Shem Ochuodho.

Pesa ATM’s

Pesa Point now has 60 ATMs installed around the country. My bank has pesa point but I will take a pass on them because of the additional cost (30/=per cash withdrawal)except for emergencies of if I am very far from my own Bank’s ATM. Pesa Point’s unique stand-alone ATM’s are popping up in all sorts of unexpected places such as the grounds of KICC and a restaurant opposite Hooter’s with little fanfare. The company should have a web site or better way to market/advertise each new ATM added, besides a statement from the MD.

Foreign Aid
President George W. Bush’s administration plans to overhaul the US foreign aid system and align programs more with US political interests. E.g. the State Department could take over the independent US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Kenya Gazette issue

By request: Major portions of the Kenya Gazette are available online courtesy of Kenya Law Reports who post the notable directives by ministers and government officials while leaving out death/estate matters which take up ½ of a typical gazette issue. Hat tip: Kenyan Pundit

Telkom update: From the Kenya Gazette: Telkom Kenya moves closer to offering per second billing by first moving from billing calls every three minutes to per one (1) minute.

Mr. Minister, Sir!: Coming soon: A new Mercedes, to go with a new minister’s flag. Presenting the 2007 S-Class.