With the world battling a pandemic
that has killed over 350,000 people, access to information on COVID-19 is
vital. Since social distancing is one of the ways to curb the spread of this
disease, purchasing a hard copy newspaper has become difficult.
However, Kenyans can now purchase
several newspapers online using Sh20 of their airtime. This is after Safaricom
partnered with the Standard Group Plc and Nation Media Group to enable
smartphone users to access a digital copy at Sh20bob per issue.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa says the
move is made to empower Kenyans countrywide by enabling them to access
information at their fingertips.
“The world is quickly evolving to be
digitally-led, and we see our customers increasingly seeking ways in which they
can achieve their goals by tapping into the convenience of their smartphone. We
are glad to partner with Standard Group and Nation media to enable Kenyans access
information at their fingertips,” said the Safaricom CEO.
The telecommunication company says
the Sh20 will be deducted from the user’s airtime to enable them to access the
digital newspapers for seven days.
Safaricom adds that the Sh20 per
issue will include data usage, meaning that one’s data bundles will not be
consumed when going through the copy.
To access the service, Kenyans can visit Safaricom.com and select the ‘Discover’ option followed by ‘Newspapers.’ Customers can also purchase the newspapers by dialing *544#.
To access the Standard newspaper, simply dial *550*2#, the Nairobian can be accessed through *550*6#.
Once you’ve made the purchase,
customers will be able to access the Standard Group newspapers, including The
Standard, Saturday Standard, Sunday Standard, The Nairobian and other Nation
Media Group newspapers.