Kenyan mobile subscriptions decreased significantly following the deactivation of unregistered SIM cards, a Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) report has revealed.
Mobile subscribers dipped from a count of 30.7 million to 29.8 million between January and March 2013.
This also signifies a decline in mobile penetration from 78 per cent to 75.8 per cent during the measured period.
According to the CCK, the de-activation of 2.4 million unregistered SIM cards contributed greatly to the decrease.
The deactivation also dealt a blow to mobile traffic, showing a 1.2 per cent decline from 7.3 billion minutes to 7.2 billion minutes.
However, mobile money has grown 10.1 per cent in subscription numbers, amounting to 23.2 million.
Mobile money transfer agents also increased since the previous quarter from 62,300 to 74,216, creating a minimum of 11,916 additional direct jobs.
Mobile subscriptions were dominated by the internet or data market, taking 99 per cent to boost subscriber numbers to 9.6 million.
