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{
    "id": 234422,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234422/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 17,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Were",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Information and Communications",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 153,
        "legal_name": "David Aoko Were",
        "slug": "david-were"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) I am aware. However, it should be noted that these charges have continuously been coming down due to several measures taken by the Government to address service affordability. The charges are also comparable to those in the East African region where the average charges are Kshs12 to Kshs15 within the same network and Kshs25 to another network. (b) The profits by mobile companies are high, though not necessarily abnormal. Investment in telecommunications infrastructure involves high initial capital outlay and it takes sometime before any returns on investment is realised. Most of these investments involve sourcing of huge financing facilities with definite repayment periods. (c) The Government has taken several steps to protect consumers through regulating inter- connection charges among operators as per the Kenya Communications Regulations (2001) to ensure that the charges are consistent with the law. The Government has also licensed two mobile service providers, and competition is deemed to be the most effective tool of rationalising prices as is the practice worldwide. The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) is currently conducting a case study, the results of which will assist in among others, identifying the appropriate connection rate, the rationalisation of charging mechanisms and new regulatory approaches towards making telecommunications services more affordable to consumers. (d) Currently, two mobile phone licenses are operational; that is Safaricom and Celtel. Once the litigation issues surrounding Econet Wireless are resolved, the country will hopefully have three mobile providers. Moreover, as earlier indicated sometime early this month, the Government recently awarded a tender to Vitel Consortium to operate both fixed and mobile services. In essence, therefore, Kenya will have three or four mobile phone operators very soon."
}