Telcos fight for ex-CJ Mutunga’s home internet account

What you need to know:

Mutunga's tweet sets off responses from firms flaunting their services to woo him.
Zuku parent firm Wananchi Group Limited has lost some of its market share for fixed internet subscriptions, standing at 39.2 per cent at the end of September 2018 compared with 41 per cent at the same time in 2017.
On the other hand, Safaricom’s market share grew 12.4 percentage points, standing at 27.6 per cent in September 2018 compared with 15.2 per cent in the previous year.

Local telecommunications firms are eager to secure a position as the home internet provider for ex-Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.

Mr Mutunga lodged a complaint on his Twitter account, saying Safaricom was delaying the establishment of his home WiFi service.

The tweet set off responses from firms flaunting their services to woo Mr Mutunga.

“I hope I have not made a mistake in dumping ZUKU for Safaricom for better WiFi service. After paying Safaricom I am yet to be connected. Customer Care... has not helped me. Calling 400 and selecting 1 for home fibre inquiries ends with thanks for calling platinum,” wrote Mr Mutunga on his Twitter account.

Internet provider Zuku tried to secure the account once again, tweeting, “Hello Daktari, apologies for the inconvenience experienced with our Wi-Fi service. Please let us know the best available time to contact you and resolve the technical challenge faced. We would love to have you back and continue enjoying our services.”

Competition

After one Twitter user praised Faiba and another Airtel as alternative providers, Mr Mutunga wrote to Safaricom’s #ticker:SCOM customer care account, saying, “Good to know about the competition out there.”

According to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya, Zuku parent firm Wananchi Group Limited has lost some of its market share for fixed internet subscriptions, standing at 39.2 per cent at the end of September 2018 compared with 41 per cent at the same time in 2017.

On the other hand, Safaricom’s market share grew 12.4 percentage points, standing at 27.6 per cent in September 2018 compared with 15.2 per cent in the previous year, attributable to efforts to expand its coverage to other parts of the country.

Faiba parent company Jamii Telecommunications Limited retained its third position by maintaining its market share at 13.3 per cent in both years with individual subscriptions rising by 10,958.