MPs under pressure to rescind decision on thin-sim roll out

Nairobi; Kenya: Pressure is mounting on Parliament to reverse a decision it made earlier this week blocking the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) from allowing Equity Bank to roll out its virtual mobile operator network. The ICT Association of Kenya yesterday added its voice to the on-going stalemate that pits Kenya’s titans Safaricom and Equity Bank, by calling on MPs to act within their mandate.

“Although the Constitution grants sweeping oversight powers to parliamentary committees, requiring an independent regulator to act in a particular way on a matter with glaring commercial stakes clearly over-stretches the committee’s mandate,” said the association’s Secretary General Kamotho Njenga. The lobby’s remarks come barely a day after the Government slammed the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Communication for interfering with the operations of an independent regulator.