A bill in Parliament seeks to create legislation that will force telecommunication service providers to separate their core businesses from other ventures and acquire regulatory approvals for any other business carried out.
Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2019 proposes that telcos will only be granted the permission to operate any other business only when they have legally split the telecommunication business from other business and provide separate accounts and reports.
“A person may engage in any other business provided that such person shall; obtain the relevant licenses from the respective regulators of any industry or sector ventured into,” part of the bill reads.
This means that telcos like Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom Kenya will be forced to separate their activities in mobile lending, e-commerce, health, education, and agriculture, among others.
Gem Member of Parliament Elisha Odhiambo brought the bill the second time after a previous attempt by former MP Jakoyo Midiwo failed.
The Regulatory body, CAK has, however not addressed the report by on dominance in the telecommunication sector which had recommended the separation of M-Pesa from Safaricom.
Related;
Market Dominance Report Proposes Splitting of M-Pesa from Safaricom
