Irungu Kangata: Government Should Ignore Safaricom

Muranga County Governor Irungu Kangata has said that the government should ignore Safaricom’s letter, which states that the new internet services from Elon Musk’s company should be regulated.

The governor, on his official Twitter account, stated that Safaricom should accept competition because their internet service is too weak and unable to adequately serve its customers, as seen at Muranga Level Hospital, where their internet is down and very inconsistent, thereby derailing healthcare services.

“Muranga has automated its healthcare. Safaricom’s internet speed drops frequently. The speed is so low. At times, it is 4.7 Mbps. New Starlink internet speeds hit 100 Mbps. This saves lives. And it’s not affected by weather,” wrote Irungu Kangata.

Safaricom has come under sharp criticism for trying to prevent Starlink from entering the Kenyan market to maintain its monopoly. The company wrote to the government, requesting regulation of the service.

However, citizens have vowed to embrace the new service provider. According to reports, Starlink promises 100 Mbps for only Ksh 2000 and provides internet during all seasons because of its waterproof devices. Other service providers can only offer 25 Mbps for the same price.

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko posted on his Instagram account that he has already installed Starlink services.