Safaricom opens Nyeri hub in regional expansion drive

Safaricom #ticker:SCOM has opened its fifth regional headquarters in Nyeri in a decentralisation drive meant to take services closer to customers.

The new office comes at a time when demand for Internet services by firms, learning institutions and parastatals in Mt Kenya region is rising.

The centre will serve customers from Nyeri, Embu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Isiolo, Samburu, Marsabit and Garissa. Other counties are Mandera, Wajir, Tana River, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Laikipia and Nyandarua.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said the shift to counties is aimed at reaching and engaging customers more effectively.

To extend its retail services to more customers, the telco also opened its 46th shop in Nanyuki town.

“In addition to the shops and regional centres we have also opened 17 care desks which get us closer to customers,” Mr Collymore said.

The company has already rolled out its fibre optic service to more than 60 buildings in Thika, Nyeri and Meru and over 1,000 homes in Thika.
An additional nine towns will be integrated into the fibre optic service.

“The telco also plans to further boost its voice coverage through investment in more than 80 new 2G sites,” he said.

Besides Mt Kenya and North Eastern, other regional headquarters include Nairobi East, Nairobi West, Coast, Rift and Western.

The mobile operator began implementing the decentralisation strategy two years ago.

Mr Collymore said the firm plans to expand its services across the continent, adding that the recent share swap deal that will see South African firm Vodacom enter the Kenyan market by taking over a 35 per cent stake of Safaricom from UK multinational Vodafone will enable the firm to venture outside Kenya.