CC image courtesy of Kopo Kopo, Inc. on Flickr
Leading Kenyan operator Safaricom will not have to cut fees on making M-Pesa transactions across networks after the Competition Authority declined to order a reduction as petitioned by rival Airtel.
HumanIPO reported earlier this month the Competition Authority of Kenya was reviewing a case brought by Airtel, with the country’s second operator asking the authority to investigate Safaricom for alleged abuse of its market-leading mobile money position, but the case has now been rejected.
“We did not make a ruling on the interoperability and the cost of transactions because we found that this is an issue that needs the input of both the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and the Communications Authority,” said CAK director-general Wang’ombe Kariuki in a telephone interview with the Business Daily.
“This matter will also require the drafting of new laws.”
Airtel had said Safaricom’s charges to its customers when sending money to Airtel Money accounts were double the amount of that required for Safaricom-to-Safaricom transactions.
