Airtel Kenya has announced that it has finalized an agreement with Essar Telecom Kenya Limited (ETKL), which operates as YuMobile telecom service in Kenya, for the acquisition of its part of its business in Kenya after YuMobile received approval for the transaction from Communication Authority (CA).
The agreement which will now be filed with Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) for the requisite approval will see Airtel acquire the company’s 2.55 million subscribers and System for Mobile (GSM) communications licenses. The 2.55 million customers will join Airtel’s Kenya’s 5.3 million customers, growing its customer base by 50% to 7.85 million and customer market share to 25%.
However, compared to Safaricom’s 20 million plus susbcribers, Airtel’s 7.85 million susbribers are a drop in the ocean.
In a statement following upon the announcement of the new deal, Airtel Kenya CEO Adil El Youssefi stated that the Airtel network has operated in Kenya over the last 14 years, explaining that the company’s acquisition of the yuMobile license and its entire customer base is a re-affirmation of its commitment and intention to continue growing its business and building its brand in Kenya for the longer term.
To make the shift seamless yuMobile subscribers will move to Airtel with their current yuMobile numbers, they will continue to enjoy their current services in addition to Airtel Kenya’s superior quality national network.
They will also gain access to Airtel’s state of the art 3G network (yuMobile customers do not currently have 3G services), guaranteeing them unmatched fast connection speeds to internet across the country; enabling them to browse and connect with friends and family on social media with ease.