Mobile Number Portability is Here and Clients are Moving

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) has gone into full effect as from 1st April, 2011. Kenyans who have cell phones can change networks without loosing their numbers.

Now mobile services operators are luring clients of other operators with freebies. Safaricom is giving a total of Ksh 250 in airtime when you port. Immediately you move to Safaricom, you will receive Ksh 100 in airtime and Ksh 50 per month for 3 months. It will also give 50 Bonga (loyalty) points and 10MB bundles of data for the next 4 months.

Airtel will waive the porting fee, Ksh 200, and will give you 1,000 loyalty points (Zawadi points) and will also give the new clients a bonus of 25% on any airtime purchase for the next 3 months.

Orange and Yu are yet to give new clients any worthwhile benefits. You also need to know the process of poring;

1. You need to visit the the shop of the mobile operator you wish to migrate (port0 to with your identification document. If you wish to port corporate lines, simply be ready with the letter from the authorised company official duly signed.
2. Fill and Present the portability form together with the documents.
3. Pay the porting fee and you will be issued with a new SIM card. You will only have service from the new operator after the process is complete. You will thought in the meantime continue using the services of the old provider.
4. You will need not to have any debt with the old provider. Also ensure that you use all airtime and mobile money fees still in your account with the old provider. Backup all your phone numbers which are still in the SIM card onto your phone or in any other way.
5. Send the word PORT or HAMA to  from your existing line to start the automatic switching process. You will then receive a message from Porting Access Kenya either that your porting is being processed or it has failed. If it has failed, go contact your old provider.
6. After the process is complete, you will receive withing a few minutes and a maximum of 48 hours (2 days), an SMS from Porting Access Kenya with information that your old account will be closed soon, use your new SIM card or your porting failed and you should then contact your old operator.
7. If it was successful, insert the new SIM card, if it failed, contact your old provider.

On Friday, it was reported that almost 60,000 clients from various providers had shown interest in changing their operators (porting).