When a mobile money transaction fails in rural Kenya, a child may miss a school fee deadline. When data service drops mid-payment, a family cannot buy food. These are not hypotheticals.
They are daily realities for millions who rely on Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya for everything from healthcare payments to emergency calls. Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke summoned the chief executives of all three operators to a closed-door meeting.
The message was blunt: fix the declining service quality or face consequences. The operators are pushing close to breaching their licensing obligations, the government warned. Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom’s chief executive, spoke on behalf of the industry.
He acknowledged the problems. But he pointed to a factor that may be closer to home than many realise: the rapid growth of high-rise buildings.
These structures block signals, strain infrastructure and create dead zones where calls drop and data stalls. The meeting covered more than technical complaints. Kenya is preparing to host next year’s African Cup of Nations tournament.
Fans now expect networks that can handle high traffic and enable seamless streaming at event venues, Isaboke said. The tournament is a test. The networks are not ready.
According to sources, the public statement after the meeting was a moderated version of what had been planned as a far tougher rebuke. The government’s concern runs deeper than tournament logistics.
When service quality slips, it denies Kenyans uninterrupted access to critical services. Isaboke said the ministry and the operators agreed on the urgent need to improve quality of service. But agreement is not action.
The operators face real challenges. The high-rise boom is reshaping the geography of signal coverage.
Old infrastructure cannot keep up. New towers are expensive and slow to build. For communities across Kenya, a failed mobile money transaction can mean a missed school fee payment or an inability to buy essential goods.
These are not abstract technical glitches. They are disruptions to daily survival. The government understands this.
The operators understand this. The question is whether they can fix it before the tournament arrives — or before more families lose access to services they depend on.
The closed-door meeting was a warning. The next step may not be closed doors. It may be enforcement.
Breaching licensing obligations carries consequences. The government has made that clear.
The operators have been put on notice.
