Whenever we mention price wars in the Telecomms sector in Kenya, we get an image of Orange, Zain and Yu all ganging up against Safaricom. That is what the mainstream media has put in our mind. It is journalism which will never qualify to be fair because it lacks any professionalism. It is infact PR for Safaricom.
I have nothing against Safaricom but I have every reason to hate bullies and even if the Safaricom PR wont deal with me, I wont give a hoot. It is monstrous to imagine the arrogance and chest thumping with which the phone giant has been operating. Whenever we have demanded better services at affordable rates, you will get Michael Joseph retort “We can charge whatever we can because we have the support of our clients”. I don’t know if I don’t qualify as a client of Safaricom or what but I am not happy.
So it has also been very interesting to see how the so called business journalists are writing on the price war. When you read this Business Daily editorial, you get a situation where an editor chooses to misinform his readers by misrepresenting facts talking of “Price War” going to lead to “severe revenues losses, resulting in job losses and possible investor flight”.
I am so sick. Even if you kill robbers you will get capital flight, job losses and revenue losses. All the other operators agree that the savings transferred to the consumer is good for the market and only Safaricom opposes the move. That’s because it has never earned its place through fairness. It has been through bribery and intimidation of journalists and editors.
If CCK wanted the reduction to be gradual, why didn’t they reduce the interconnection fees gradually? Can we be serious and know that the Kenyan internet users needs cheaper connection? Can we stop having our government and newspapers all playing like the PR agencies for phone operators?
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