<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div>Hussein,<br><br></div>I agree with you that in a competitive market the stronger will have a certain level of dominance. However in the telecoms industry, and more specifically when we talk about a space with a limited number of issued licenses (call them competitors), things can go very wrong very quickly if an eye isn't kept on a dominant player with significant market power (SMP) which can be abused to produce anti-competitive effects. It is also very necessary to reduce the granularity of analysis almost to the product level as a company can have varying levels of market dominance across different ranges of product offerings, a good example is m-pesa which has already been cited (my guesstimate is that Safaricom has about 98-99% market share in mobile money). Thereafter a composite of the various dominances(sic) across various products lines would probably give a fair idea of the extent to which the company dmoinates overall.<br><br></div>At this point it would be possible to determine whether anti-trust methodologies, regulatory interventions, policy interventions are necessary. At the crux of all of this is the strength (and independence) of the various regulatory authorities (comms regulator, competition authority, revenue authority et al). And of course underpinning all of this is the strength of the policy, legislative and statutory frameworks that govern the space.<br><br></div>IMHO the country is a the mercy of Safaricom's goodwill. All the company needs is a Trump who will strong-arm all of the actors/players into dancing to his/her tune...<br><br></div>My two sumuni,<br><br></div>Mblayo<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 12:20 AM, Beryl Aidi via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>Hello everyone,</div>Interesting debate. And after all the vibrant debate, explanations and the likely perception of Safaricom as the bad guys or reaping from policies skewed to their advantage, for me the Big Q is why is Airtel exiting other countries as well? Can it be facing the same issues across the board, or could it be simply not understanding the African market altogether?<div>Way back when in the early days, I think they were first to introduce the concept of sharing airtime called Me2U. I might have seen a TV ad or two on NTV and KTN and that was it. Safaricom took the idea, called it Sambaza, advertized where wananchi were and the rest is history. And the same pattern repeated itself in many ways, just knowing how to get people's hearts. Remember the Masai ad?</div><div>Sometimes the answers are in the simple things. </div><div><br></div><div>Best</div><div>Beryl</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 9:44 PM, Ngigi Waithaka via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><wbr>></span> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="h5"><div dir="ltr">Ali,<div><br></div><div>My very last take on this....</div><div><br></div><div>What you refer to, that the market always corrects itself assumes a pretty fair playing field, in which case, yes!</div><div><br></div><div>However, closely associated with market dominance is monopoly tendencies (stolen from Julius Malema), illegal & underhand business practices and *ultimately* anti-competitive behaviours!</div><div><br></div><div>Lets look back at Microsoft versus everyone else. While Microsoft wasn't broken up as was initially suggested, they were forced to open up their API for the operating system to ensure that every developer using the Microsoft Windows API got the exact same API.</div><div><br></div><div>They were also forced to unbundle IE from the OS. If you remember Windows '98, IE was equivalent to the Windows Shell. You used it upende usipende! What did that do to other browsers, it killed them off one by one!</div><div><br></div><div>When they unbundled the browser and gave users a choice on the Windows Platform we got Firefox, Google Chrome et.al.... Innovation</div><div><br></div><div>Look to the other side of Microsoft incenstious relationship with Intel forming the formidable WinTel!</div><div><br></div><div>Intel at the height of its anti-competitive behaviour paid Dell more than USD 1B *NOT* to use AMD chips which were by then leading in the processors war. Remember AMD gave us 64bit computing way ahead of Intel.</div><div><br></div><div>It is not hard to imagine what 'illegal' things one would do if you had a few Billion shillings to spend against your competitors with no anti-competition laws. You could:</div><div>1. Pay every mobile agent to make sure they never offer services for other providers apart from yours</div><div>2. With you advertising budget running into Bs ensure that your competition never airs any Ads from your competitors, until you 'approve' it.</div><div>3, with your deep pockets ensure no 'bad' or illegal practices that you are heavily involved in are mentioned anywhere in the media. If any media house airs any, you pull-off your entire media bookings from them until they 'shika adabu'!</div><div>4. Buy the entire usable bandwidth from TEAMS without using it, simply to starve your competition until they surrender.</div><div>4. Buy the entire stock of your competitions 'bottles' to make sure they keep on manufacturing news ones every time as opposed to simply recycling them.</div><div>5. Ensure that no mobile phone provider pre-loads any competing app to your core apps, whether they are sold on your network on not! If they do, you simply cancel all their orders and voila, watu wanashika adabu!</div><div>6. Ensure no one even dreams of selling dual-sim phones through your network... yeah, this one was hilarious & true!</div><div><br></div><div>Point is, Market dominance that ultimately leads to anti-competitive behaviour, which ultimately stifles competition.</div><div><br></div><div>Think about it, what-if, just before M-Pesa launched, Airtel Kenya which I think was at par with Safaricom then, called their lobbyist and handed them some seriously loaded brown envelopes to kill of the then nascent mobile money transfer technology, where would we be today?</div><div><br></div><div>And that's why I shuddered when Equity came up with the novel idea of using SIM Card overlays, which Safaricom fought tooth and nail to stop, including using serious FUD, the Courts, Government bureaucracy <a href="http://et.al" target="_blank">et.al</a> to stop an idea whose time had come!</div><div><br></div><div>Equitel was *lucky* to see the next day. You could argue they had deep pockets!</div><div><br></div><div>But, what of that kid in campus who comes up with MPesa reloaded, will he survive the onslaught? What if WhatsApp was a Kenyan firm, threatening to take away crucial revenue from SMS from Safaricom as an example? </div><div><br></div><div>Would they have been allowed to thrive? </div><div><br></div><div>How many 'ICT practitioners' would have come out of the woodwork to claim that this technology was 'unsafe', 'untested', 'unregulated'?</div><div><br></div><div>How many media outlets would have covered their success stories without fear of antagonizing their loaded telco customers?</div><div><br></div><div>How many phone providers would have dared to be been 'seen' to advertising Whatsapp on their phones?</div><div><br></div><div>List goes on & on.</div><div><br></div><div>My point is, market dominance without very solid & well implemented anti-competition laws stifles innovation big time.</div><div><br></div><div>P.S</div><div>Every scenario I have picked on, on what I would do if I had a few Bs to smoother my competition is hypothetical and likeness to any real scenario is by mere inter-galactic coincidence :-)</div><div><br></div><div>Rgds</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 12:22 PM, Ali Hussein via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><wbr>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><div>Job</div><div><br></div><div>I believe you are referring to two phenomena that are becoming common place today:-</div><div><br></div><div>1. Interoperability - This implies open standards, ability of systems to talk to each other seamlessly. My prediction is this:- any company that doesn't adhere to this thinking will be dead in less than 3 years. The new Mantra in Business is <b>Platform Thinking</b>. I advise you read this article in HBR:-</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://hbr.org/2016/04/pipelines-platforms-and-the-new-rules-of-strategy" target="_blank">https://hbr.org/2016/04/pipeli<wbr>nes-platforms-and-the-new-rule<wbr>s-of-strategy</a></div><div> </div><div>2. The Network Effect. <span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">In economics and business the <b style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:none">network effect</b> (also called <b style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:none">network externality</b> or <b style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:none">demand-side economies of scale</b>) is the effect that one user of a good or service has on the value of that product to other people. When a network effect is present, the value of a product or service is dependent on the number of others using it. (Wikipedia)</span></div><div><br></div><div>This simply means that Safaricom has been better at executing than the competition.</div><div><br></div><div>Let's look at Equity Bank for a moment. They partnered with Safaricom initially with their Mkesho Product. We know that story. It simply didn't go well. </div><div><br></div><div>So what did Equity do? Moan? Complain about Safaricom's Dominance or unfairness? Or cry foul on legislation? We know that story too. Today Safaricom understands one thing. They have a serious competitor in Equity. </div><div><br></div><div>That's how the game is played people. If you wait for the galaxies to align for you then you better roll over and play for dead. Because we all know that if you want to be the Big Cajuna in the room - You make the Galaxies align for you. </div><div><br></div><div>As my son keeps on remind me - Don't hate the Player...Hate the Game..and change it!! :-)</div><span><div><br><div><div><span><b>Ali Hussein</b></span></div><div><span><b>Principal</b></span></div><div><b style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Hussein & Associates</b></div><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium"><a href="tel:+254%20713%20601113" value="+254713601113" target="_blank">+254 0713 601113</a> </div><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium"><br></div><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Twitter: @AliHKassim</span></p><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><font></font></span><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Skype: abu-jomo</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.c<wbr>om/in/alihkassim</a></span></p><font><br></font></div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle</span></div><div><br></div><div><span><br></span></div>Sent from my iPad</div></div></span><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997h5"><div><br>On 30 Jan 2017, at 12:02 PM, Job Muriuki <<a href="mailto:muriukin@gmail.com" target="_blank">muriukin@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="color:#20124d">Ali,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:#20124d"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:#20124d">I mean they open up Mpesa and they pay loyalties. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:#20124d">Currently, it's like been paid with Barclays bank cheque while you bank with CBA and the two don't honour foreign cheques so you are forced to open a Barclays account and before you know it you end up not banking with CBA altogether. Not that Barclays has better services but somehow you have been arm twisted to using them. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:#20124d"><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Regards,<br>Job Muriuki,<br><br>Skype: heviejob<br><br><br><br></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 11:43 AM, Ali Hussein <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke" target="_blank">ali@hussein.me.ke</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div>Job</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315AppleMailSignature">Are you suggesting that Safaricom just 'gives' competitors access to their platform without them paying for it? Surely not...</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315AppleMailSignature">This is akin to you saying that now that Tesla has become dominant in Electric Cars they should give up their technology to those Neanderthals in Detroit (GM, Ford etc) simply because they slept through the revolution. Literally.</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315AppleMailSignature">I'd agree with you on this principle if you said that it makes very good strategic sense for them to open up Mpesa as a Platform. That is something I think that Safaricom will regret if they don't. But then it's their prerogative.<span><br><br><div><span><b>Ali Hussein</b></span></div><div><span><b>Principal</b></span></div><div><b style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Hussein & Associates</b></div><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium"><a href="tel:+254%20713%20601113" value="+254713601113" target="_blank">+254 0713 601113</a> </div><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium"><br></div><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Twitter: @AliHKassim</span></p><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><font></font></span><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Skype: abu-jomo</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.c<wbr>om/in/alihkassim</a></span></p><font><br></font></div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle</span></div><div><br></div><div><span><br></span></div>Sent from my iPad</span></div><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744h5"><div><br>On 30 Jan 2017, at 10:58 AM, Job Muriuki via kictanet <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><wbr>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="color:rgb(32,18,77)">Ngigi,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:rgb(32,18,77)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:rgb(32,18,77)">It's like you are reading from the same script as I am. I have never understood why we can't use Mpesa on any other number other than a Safaricom one.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:rgb(32,18,77)">If Airtel, et al got access to the M-pesa platform then the tale would be very different. As long as Safaricom has exclusivity access to M-pesa the rest will have an uphill task in making any headways in the telecom market in Kenya. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="color:rgb(32,18,77)"><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Regards,<br>Job Muriuki,<br><br>Skype: heviejob<br><br><br><br></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 10:38 AM, Brian Munyao Longwe via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><wbr>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">.....and the way CA (formerly CCK) were hammered when they tried to do a market intervention on the basis of Safaricom dominance....SMH....<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315h5">On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 9:20 AM, Ngigi Waithaka via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><wbr>></span> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315h5"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Ali,<br><br></div>Analyzing why Safaricom has dominated this market in such Key areas as Mobile Telephony, Payment Services etc is probably something that would qualify for a PHD thesis.<br><br></div>Here's what I know though:<br></div>1. Are Safaricom's Customers happy? Answer is, do they have a choice? Go back to Microsoft's heyday, were you actually really happy with Windows '98? Did you have a *choice*?<br><br></div>2. Yes, Safaricom could have better services than Airtel & Telkom, although I doubt, having been a user of both Safaricom & Airtel over 15yrs. Even if they were better, how do you reconcile that they are maybe 4 times the size of the rest of the competition? Are they 4x better than say Airtel? I doubt.<br><br></div>Now, onto things MPesa, I think Safaricom does MPesa a great injustice of not spinning it off. I want MPesa (with all its associated services) on my Airtel line.<br><br></div><div>MPesa needs to be listed on NASDAQ! MPesa needs to be the third choice globally after VISA & Mastercard!<br><br></div><div>But there's the not so small matter of who actually owns MPesa!<br></div><div><br></div>Onto matters regulation, if I was CBK, I would be very concerned if one such firm had that much 'power' over the money transfer market.<br><br></div>Rgds<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891h5"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 9:10 AM, Ali Hussein <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke" target="_blank">ali@hussein.me.ke</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div>Ngigi </div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature">:-)</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature">The issue of Mobitelea aside (because we will really never know how that went down) Safaricom is simply better at everything:-</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature">1. Their lobbying is simply superior and a thing of beauty to watch. Lobbying is an acceptable practice the world over. Please don't complain when your competitor is doing a better job at it than you..</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature">2. Which industry is Safaricom in? Energy? (Mkopa Solar with 500k subscribers simply won't have existed without the symbiotic relationship they have with Mpesa. And Safaricom skims off the top as per agreement); Banking? CBA without Mshwari is a shell; Payments? Lipa na Mpesa is giving Visa and Mastercard a run for their money; TV? Zuku is about to feel real competition. And the list goes on.</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature">3. I'm keen to see the Dominance Report because I think we need to expand our thinking. I don't believe there is anyone today who has Dominance in any particular area at least not in the traditional way we have defined Dominance.</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature">4. The thing of course to watch is abuse of Market Dominance. And this in itself a slippery slop. Once The US Government tried to break up Microsoft. What the Government couldn't do the Market did. Free Markets are the greatest equalizer.</div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature"><br></div><div id="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070AppleMailSignature">Let us be careful what we wish for. In as long as the customer is generally happy we have nothing to fear. <span><br><br><div><span><b>Ali Hussein</b></span></div><div><span><b>Principal</b></span></div><div><b style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Hussein & Associates</b></div></span><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium"><a href="tel:+254%20713%20601113" value="+254713601113" target="_blank">+254 0713 601113</a> </div><span><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium"><br></div><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Twitter: @AliHKassim</span></p><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><font></font></span><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Skype: abu-jomo</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.c<wbr>om/in/alihkassim</a></span></p><font><br></font></div></span><span><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle</span></div><div><br></div><div><span><br></span></div>Sent from my iPad</span></div><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390h5"><div><br>On 30 Jan 2017, at 8:29 AM, Ngigi Waithaka <<a href="mailto:ngigi@at.co.ke" target="_blank">ngigi@at.co.ke</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><p dir="ltr">Ali,</p>
<p dir="ltr">The only palatable End Game; Equitel buys off Airtel Kenya, combines it with Helios stake @Telkom</p>
<p dir="ltr">Massive innovation thereafter would get back some respectable market share.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Truth be told, Safaricom's cozzyiness with GoK has helped it along big time. I dare say if Kencell has ceded 10% to Mobitelea, as Safaricom was more than glad to do, we'd probably be speaking a different story right now!</p>
<p dir="ltr">What these foreign firms investing in Africa need to remember is.......</p>
<p dir="ltr">THIS IS AFRICA!</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 28 Jan 2017 8:40 a.m., "Ali Hussein via kictanet" <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><wbr>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000">Listers</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000">Another one bites the dust?</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000">I'm really curious as to whats going on in the Telco sector.</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><p style="margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000">Bharti Airtel has announced that it will be exiting 14 African countries within a year. The affected countries include: Chad, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.</font></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000">The telecom operator is faced with poor performance across those markets. Two years ago, <a href="http://mobilityarena.com/airtel-not-exiting-africa-despite-talks-to-sell-4-networks-to-orange/" style="font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">when Airtel began talks to sell off its operations in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone to Orange</a>, the company had stated that it wouldn’t be exiting Africa.</font></p></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000"><a href="http://mobilityarena.com/airtel-exit-nigeria-13-african-countries/" target="_blank">Airtel plans Africa exit</a></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" color="#000000">Is the African market too competitive or is the regulatory environment skewed towards a few players?</font></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390m_8192465918985157070m_-5791904895753179148gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><b><font size="2" face="georgia, serif">Ali
Hussein</font></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><b><font size="2" face="georgia, serif">Principal</font></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2" face="georgia, serif"><b>Hussein & Associates</b></font></p><font size="2">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>T<font size="2">el: +254 713 60<font size="2">1113</font></font><br></span></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Twitter: @AliHKassim</span><span></span></span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">
</span></font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Skype: abu-jomo</span></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alih<wbr>kassim</a></span><a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"></span></a></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></font></p><p style="font-size:small;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:georgia;color:black">13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing,</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:arial"></span></p><p style="font-size:small;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:georgia;color:black">Chiromo Road, Westlands,</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:arial"></span></p><p style="font-size:small;margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:georgia;color:black">Nairobi, Kenya.</span></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span><br><font size="1">Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with.</font></span></span></font><span style="font-family:"baskerville old face",serif;font-size:11pt"></span><span style="font-size:11pt"></span>
<span style="font-family:"baskerville old face",serif"></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<img src="http://t.sidekickopen16.com/e1t/o/5/f18dQhb0S7ks8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9gXrN7sKj6v4LNdFMd_KMKRbM7xW4Wzv6P2zlZNzW26tGP91k1H6H0?si=6190904865718272&pi=60eb9681-ece1-4342-a355-2fc6dd4e0d34" style="display:none!important" width="1" height="1"></div>
<br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a><br>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTA<wbr>Net/</a><br>
<br>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%40at.co.ke" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%<wbr>40at.co.ke</a><br>
<br>
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT 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.<br></blockquote></div>
</div></blockquote></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br></div></div><span class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">-- <br><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744m_7595463144477131315m_3347371329472810891m_8831290995342898390gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><b>Regards,</b></font></font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><b>Wait</b></font></font><b style="font-size:small;font-family:Calibri">haka Ngigi</b></div></div><div><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><font face="'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif" color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse">Chief </span></font><font color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse">Executive</span></font><font face="'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif" color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"> Officer | </span></font><font style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" color="#FF6600">Alliance Technologies</font><font face="'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif" color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"> | MCK Nairobi Synod Building</span></font></font></font></div></div><div style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial"><font face="Calibri"><font size="2">T +254 20 525 0750</font></font></span></font></font><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px"> </span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px">|Office Mobile: <a href="tel:+254%20716%20201061" value="+254716201061" target="_blank">+254 716 201061</a> </span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px"></span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px">| </span><span style="font-family:Calibri">M +254 737 811 000<a style="color:rgb(103,117,58)"><br></a></span></div></div><div style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div><span style="font-family:Calibri"><a href="http://www.at.co.ke" target="_blank">www.at.co.ke</a></span></div><div></div></div></div></div></div>
</font></span></div>
<br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a><br>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTA<wbr>Net/</a><br>
<br></div></div>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/blongwe%40gmail.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/options/kictanet/blongw<wbr>e%40gmail.com</a><span><br>
<br>
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT 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.<br></span></blockquote></div><br></div>
<br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a><br>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTA<wbr>Net/</a><br>
<br>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/muriukin%40gmail.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/options/kictanet/muriuk<wbr>in%40gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT 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.<br></blockquote></div><br></div>
</div></blockquote></div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997m_-5141063454912898744h5"><span>______________________________<wbr>_________________</span><br><span>kictanet mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a></span><br><span><a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/listinfo/kictanet</a></span><br><span>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a></span><br><span>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTA<wbr>Net/</a></span><br><span></span><br></div></div><span>Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/options/kictanet/info%4<wbr>0alyhussein.com</a></span><span><br><span></span><br><span>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.</span><br><span></span><br><span>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></span></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div><br></div>
</div></blockquote></div></div></div></div><br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a><br>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTA<wbr>Net/</a><br>
<br>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%40at.co.ke" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%<wbr>40at.co.ke</a><br>
<br>
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT 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 class="m_2170523099565235657HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br></font></span></blockquote></div><span class="m_2170523099565235657HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="m_2170523099565235657m_-8715651136578925997gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><b>Regards,</b></font></font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><b>Wait</b></font></font><b style="font-size:small;font-family:Calibri">haka Ngigi</b></div></div><div><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><font face="'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif" color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse">Chief </span></font><font color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse">Executive</span></font><font face="'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif" color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"> Officer | </span></font><font style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" color="#FF6600">Alliance Technologies</font><font face="'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif" color="#888888"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"> | MCK Nairobi Synod Building</span></font></font></font></div></div><div style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div><font face="Calibri"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial"><font face="Calibri"><font size="2">T +254 20 525 0750</font></font></span></font></font><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px"> </span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px">|Office Mobile: <a href="tel:+254%20716%20201061" value="+254716201061" target="_blank">+254 716 201061</a> </span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px"></span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:14px">| </span><span style="font-family:Calibri">M +254 737 811 000<a style="color:rgb(103,117,58)"><br></a></span></div></div><div style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:'Droid Sans',arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div><span style="font-family:Calibri"><a href="http://www.at.co.ke" target="_blank">www.at.co.ke</a></span></div><div></div></div></div></div></div>
</font></span></div>
<br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a><br>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTA<wbr>Net/</a><br>
<br></div></div>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bee.aidi%40gmail.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m<wbr>ailman/options/kictanet/bee.ai<wbr>di%40gmail.com</a><span class=""><br>
<br>
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT 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.<br></span></blockquote></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="m_2170523099565235657gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Beryl<br>******************************<wbr>*****************<br><span style="font-family:'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:18px;text-align:left;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"> Darkness cannot put out the Light. It can only make God brighter. —Author Unknown. </span> <br><div><div><br><br></div></div></div>
</font></span></div>
<br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/<wbr>mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a><br>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr>KICTANet/</a><br>
<br>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/blongwe%40gmail.com" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/<wbr>mailman/options/kictanet/<wbr>blongwe%40gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT 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.<br></blockquote></div><br></div>