Essar Kenya CEO Wants Safaricom to Open Up M-Pesa to Other Networks

The CEO of Essar Kenya (yuMobile) has called on Safaricom to open up its M-Pesa platform to other network operators. Speaking on NTV’s PM Live, Madhur Taneja, said that yu is willing to pay Safaricom royalties if it were to allow it to also offer its clients the M-Pesa service.

Mr Taneja said;

“We cannot have a situation where someone with an account in Equity Bank cannot transfer to someone in StanChart. I am calling on Safaricom to please open up M-Pesa. We will pay you royalty. Let us do e-commerce. Do they want a royalty of  2.3 million customers? We are open to that.”

From his statement, it seems Madhur believes that number portability failed because clients do not want to lose their mobile commerce services.

The CEO of Essar Kenya also said that he totally disagree that Safaricom is not dominant. Mr Taneja called on CCK to check on Safaricom since it was still a dominant player which should be contained.

But reacting to the story, Safaricom CEO, Bob Collymore said;

“The mobile transfer market in Kenya is one of the most competitive in the world with all MNO’s operating their own. The M-Pesa  platform is not Safaricom’s to license but Vodafone’s.”