<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt">Hoped the National Payment System Act, 2011 was injected onto this discussion <http://www.kenyalawreports.or.ke/klr/fileadmin/pdfdownloads/Acts/NationalPaymentSystemsAct__No39of2011.pdf> <br><br><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Eugene Lidede (Synergy) <eugene@synergy.co.ke><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> ict.researcher@yahoo.com <br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, August 7, 2013 2:34 PM<br> <b><span
style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [kictanet] Equity says M-Pesa lines should be open<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container"><br><div id="yiv3124491350"><style><!--
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--></style><div><div class="yiv3124491350WordSection1"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">I subscribe to this definition of an open system: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=define:+open+system">https://www.google.com/search?q=define:+open+system</a></span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">Businesses, unlike individuals have a plethora of verbs that characterize transaction management; these include reconcile, verify, countercheck, reverse, audit etc. MPesa only provides one way to get anything done from a backend perspective: via a browser, not any
browser though, they recommend Internet Explorer specifically on Windows XP. Chrome can get you in, but Firefox will not. That is not behavior expected of an open system. </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">For a banking institution and one with Equity’s perceived volumes, constraining “automatable” business processes to manual browser logins is to deliberately impede business to say the least, especially considering the Safaricom end of the transaction is automated and further considering that each manual login probably boils down to an expense at Equity and new opportunities for errors. It is also worth noting that the MPesa web interface whereas functional, is generally
unsuited for voluminous transactional processing being that its designed to be primarily driven by a pointing device.</span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">In the light of the above and given the basic accounting principle of double entry how does Equity efficiently reconcile its books against MPesa? What are the associated costs?</span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">Isn’t it straight forward that what Equity is rooting
for is an operable bidirectional API? And if it is, isn’t the business case equally straight forward? </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">But come to think of it, even the implementation of 0722-000000 – their core business – is not open, <i>biashara ya kando ndio watafungua</i>?</span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">Regards</span></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua", "serif";color:black;"> </span></div></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></div><div style="border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;"><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma", "sans-serif";">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma", "sans-serif";"> kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eugene=synergy.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] <b>On Behalf Of
</b>Walubengo J<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 06, 2013 7:41 PM<br><b>To:</b> Eugene Lidede<br><b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [kictanet] Equity says M-Pesa lines should be open</span></div></div></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"> </div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">@ James G. Mbugua,<br>jst reading this...<br><br> I do have to google you - we may have been brothers in our previous lives..this statement from you is straight from my mind and I quote: </span></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">>There are thousands of programmers who could come up with software or games that could seamlessly integrate M-PESA as a payment >platform for their services without having to go through an approval process
where SafCom technical people are the judges and jury</span></div></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">I personally think Safcom can double or triple its MPESA revenues if they crossed that mental shift and "liberally" allowed innovations to happen at the edge rather than at the center, as they simply collect commissions appropriately.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">I know intellectual or trade secrets have been cited as a way of limiting the APIs or not publishing them. But I dont think mobile payments systems are trade secrets on the same scale as the "Coke recipe". Indeed Airtel, then KENCELL was the first one to do money transfer over the GSM networks in
Kenya. So the technology is already "known" /"open" from a technical point view. It is not a trade secret.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">What we have now is simply "Gatekeeping" exercises - perhaps at the expense of both Safaricom (reduced revenues) and the bigger Kenyan society in form of delayed accelerated innovations that would otherwise be bubbling at the edge of MPESA.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">walu.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;background:white;" align="center"><span
style="color:black;"><hr size="1" width="100%" align="center"></span></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial", "sans-serif";color:black;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial", "sans-serif";color:black;"> James Mbugua <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:jgmbugua@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:jgmbugua@gmail.com">jgmbugua@gmail.com</a>><br><b>To:</b> <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com">jwalu@yahoo.com</a> <br><b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 6, 2013 1:50 PM<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [kictanet] Equity says M-Pesa lines should be
open</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div><div id="yiv3124491350"><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Bernard</span></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Far be it from me to suggest that your business with Safaricom clouds your outlook, but I think as a software developer you understand what we mean.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Why do you have to present it to Safaricom for them to like it
and then give greenlight further development?</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Even Microsft Windows is not that closed. At least there are specs for third party software development.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">THe problem here is that Safaricom cannot be both the owner of the platform and also the gate keeper of innovations that may run on it. We have not stopped them from earning money by coming up with standard licensing fees, but it should not be up to them to decide which idea they like and therefore should run on a payment
system.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">This is the same problem AT&T had because they simultaneously owned Bell Labs which churned out landmark software technologies, they could decide that a technology that seemed a threat would not run on their network yet they were virtually a monopoly the way M-PESA by market positioning is a virtual monopoly.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">There are thousands of programmers who could come up with software or games that could seamlessly integrate M-PESA as a payment platform for their services without having to go
through an approval process where SafCom technical people are the judges and jury particularly given the integrity issues that have long been raised of these SafCom IT guys when it comes to dealing with developers.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">But even then, there is the real national security threat of saying that 35% of our GDP passes through M-PESA when there is no credible redundancy.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">What are we saying? That if MPESA is out of a week the economy stagnates? Potential systemic risks such as banking systems heavily exposed
to one economic sector are heavily discouraged and neither should we say our national transactions are 35% exposed to one payment system and be happy about it.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">This is nothing against the folks at SafCom, it is just what makes sense for any right-thinking citizen.</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Regards</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span
style="color:black;">James</span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">On Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 1:12 PM, Bernard Kioko [Bernsoft Interactive Limited] <<a
rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:bkioko@bernsoft.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:bkioko@bernsoft.com">bkioko@bernsoft.com</a>> wrote:</span></div><div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;">I actually believe that Safaricom has already opened up MPESA and will continue to open it up but that depends on the value the opening up presents to Safaricom. I always like to use examples that are based on experiences. </span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;"> </span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;">My company a year ago developed a system for MPESA that makes MPESA transactions realtime – this is why when you pay DSTV your
account gets reconnected immediately or when you deposit money to your bank from MPESA its realtime or why your KPLC payment is more realtime than it was before. We developed this system called “MPESA Instant Payment Notification” originally for use on Kenya Airways ticketing then presented it to Safaricom and they liked the idea thus opened up MPESA for us to integrate with and so most if not all of MPESA Paybill /Bug Good Transactions are now processed through this locally developed system. </span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;"> </span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;">Isn’t this opening up MPESA? I think Equity must justify the opening up they wish for and give value to Safaricom in order to
bring Safaricom to their advantage.</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;"> </span></b><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;"> </span></b><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;">Kind Regards, </span></b><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;"> </span></b><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;">Bernard
Kioko<br></span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;">Chief Executive Officer</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;">Bernsoft Interactive Limited</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;">P.O.Box 15177-00100 Nbi,Kenya</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;">Office: <span class="yiv3124491350MsoHyperlink">+254-703-080-000</span></span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#1F497D;">Mobile: <span
class="yiv3124491350MsoHyperlink">+254-722-540-883</span></span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D;"> </span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div></div><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;"><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;"> kictanet [mailto:<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:kictanet-bounces%2Bbkioko" target="_blank" href="mailto:kictanet-bounces%2Bbkioko">kictanet-bounces+bkioko</a>=<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:bernsoft.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank" href="mailto:bernsoft.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke">bernsoft.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Ali Hussein<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 06, 2013
12:47 PM<br><b>To:</b> <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:bkioko@bernsoft.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:bkioko@bernsoft.com">bkioko@bernsoft.com</a></span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"><br><b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions</span></div></div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="color:black;">Subject:</span></b><span style="color:black;"> Re: [kictanet] Equity says M-Pesa lines should be open</span></div></div></div><div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">James ad all</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span
style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Well put. The difference though is that industry's open up themselves for open standards. Rarely do companies. </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Its incumbent upon TESPOK to convince Safaricom to open up its Mpesa system 'fully' as many listers have suggested. The fact is that the Safaricom chaps are clever enough to see this coming (and if they are not unfortunately they will go the way of Telkom Kenya). </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div
class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Rarely has government intervention in open standards helped the people they are supposed to help. Even the Banking sector clearing house is run by Bankers with the hawkish eyes of central bankers looking on.</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Safaricom will open up Mpesa fully - when they are good and ready and not a moment sooner. That's my take. </span></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;">Ali Hussein</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"
style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;">CEO | 3mice interactive media Ltd</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div></div><div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;">Principal | Telemedia Africa Ltd</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;"> </span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;">+254 713 601113/ 0770 906375</span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal"
style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">"The future belongs to him who knows how to wait." - Russian Proverb</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Sent from my iPad</span></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"><br>On Aug 6, 2013, at 11:15 AM, James Mbugua <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:jgmbugua@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:jgmbugua@gmail.com">jgmbugua@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span></div></div></div><blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt;"><div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Openness</span></div></div><div><div><div
class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">I have always felt very strongly about this issue and I agree M-PESA should be open. I used to barge Michael Joseph relentlessly about this. Open first in the sense that third parties can interface their products on their API but secondly and more importantly, open to talk to other platforms the way banks talk to each other. I can withdraw money from Pesa Point or another non-Barclays quite easily.</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">The fact is we cannot let platforms that stifle innovation continue to prosper. AT&T was
finally split up in 1984 not because of its overwhelming market dominance, but that IT WAS REFUSING TO ALLOW NEW INNOVATIONS TO WORK ON ITS PLATFORMS thus overall stifling technology.</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">In the same way, this is not a sustainable position for M-PESA if it projects its medium to long-term horizon, surely it must see that even the government will not be comfortable constantly hearing that this % of our GDP passes through M-PESA.</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">If I was Safaricom I would be
strategizing on how to open up the platform as painlessly as possible before the combination of disruptive market forces and government national security interests converge.</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Already I can deposit money into my bank account with M-PESA and withdraw it with Airtel Money. Surely, you don't need to be a genius to see that you don't need that middle man called the bank if the demand for the service is there.</span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Regards</span></div></div></div><div><div><div
class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">James</span></div></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">On Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 9:15 AM, Mark Mwangi <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:mwangy@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:mwangy@gmail.com">mwangy@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">In my opinion what Equity is asking for is for a common platform aka a common account that can be credited and debited by airtel money, yu cash orange money, tangaza
etc in the manner that a visa credit card is open game for any merchant, bank etc. This way M-pesa becomes a platform and not a safaricom product. </span></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">I actually don't see how Safaricom looses in this scenario. Exponentially more transaction fee collections, Increased dependence by industry players, maintain the intellectual property and ownership of the platform etc. </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">Maybe they are reluctant due to technological immaturity. I also wouldn't want to
embarrass myself after being feted worldwide. </span></div></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div><div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 8:31 PM, Kivuva <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:Kivuva@transworldafrica.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:Kivuva@transworldafrica.com">Kivuva@transworldafrica.com</a>> wrote:</span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;"><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">@areba, what Equity wants, if I'm not wrong is the ability for you to<br>setup a club within MPESA where you can use the platform to
transfer<br>funds without them passing through Safaricom.<br><br>The MPESA platform becomes an enabler. Unless anybody else has a<br>better understanding.</span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"><br>--<br>______________________<br>Mwendwa Kivuva<br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/lordmwesh">twitter.com/lordmwesh</a><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://kenya.or.ke/">kenya.or.ke</a> | The Kenya we know</span></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;">_______________________________________________<br>kictanet mailing list<br><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank"
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enabled growth and development.<br><br>KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.</span></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:#888888;"><br><br clear="all"></span><span style="color:black;"></span></div></div><div><div><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="color:black;"> </span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><div class="yiv3124491350MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white;"><span style="color:#888888;">-- <br>Regards,<br><br>Mark Mwangi<br><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://markmwangi.me.ke/">markmwangi.me.ke</a><br><br><br></span><span
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