Winstone K. Nnko is a an electrical engineer born and raised on the slopes of Mount Meru (Tanzania).
Winstone is skilled in Renewable Energy, electrical engineering, interior design, and brand identity creation, with a strong commitment to sustainable development and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. His humble beginnings inspired a passion for aiding the less fortunate.
In this piece, he shares how Kenyan President, William Ruto’s introduction of Elon Musk’s Starlink into the telecommunications ecosystem has intensified competition within the sector, particularly impacting giants such as Safaricom!
At the US-Kenya Business and Investment Roundtable in New York, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Ruto acknowledged the reaction of Safaricom’s CEO, Peter Ndegwa, to the new competition.
“I have my CEO for Safaricom – Sometimes he’s not very happy with me for bringing other characters like Elon Musk and others into the space. I keep encouraging Peter that competition makes you keep ahead and he’s been doing pretty well, I must admit, he’s really upped his game,” Ruto said.We all acknowledge the frustrations felt by traditional telecom companies, pointing out that these companies have had to invest heavily in infrastructure over the years, such as laying cables, building base stations, and paying taxes, salaries, and royalties.
However, we emphasized that the industry must adapt to the changing times, as monopolies tend to stifle innovation.
For years, we dealt with poor internet connectivity on islands, vessels, and airplanes. Now, with Starlink, we finally have global internet coverage. Monopoly companies had 20-30 years to improve, but now they are being challenged by reality.
I strongly believe that there is nothing better than healthy competition. Either you up your game, provide better service and value for money, or close down – it’s that simple.
Safaricom’s response to the competition. “I’m very happy that Safaricom’s CEO, Peter Ndegwa, initially expressed concerns but has since ‘upped his game’ in response to the competition.”
We wish telecom companies success in adapting to the new environment but they shouldn’t have to engage in to the monopolistic practices that undermine fair competition.