Safaricom loses battle to block Equity Bank’s thin sim card

Equity Bank CEO Dr. James Mwangi(Right) accompanied by Mobile Virtual Network Operator Chairman John Waweru when they appeared before Parliamentary Energy Committee at Parliament. [PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO]

Kenya: Integrated communications services provider, Safaricom, has lost the battle to block Equity Bank’s wholly owned subsidiary Finserve Africa from entering the lucrative mobile money services market using the Thin Sim technology.

This is after the regulators — Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) — dismissed Safaricom's objections to the technology.