Safaricom has announced a relief initiative for individuals who lost their phones during recent protests. The telecom giant will provide smartphones and airtime to those affected, alongside further support for those in extreme conditions.
The company pledged to support impacted individuals with three months’ worth of food and one year’s rent. In addition, Safaricom has donated KES 15 million ($116,279) to Kenyatta National Hospital to aid victims of the protests. Of this amount, KES 10 million will go to the hospital’s Disaster Response Centre, and KES 5 million ($38,759) will fund assistive devices for injured victims.
The announcement follows scrutiny of Safaricom after it was linked to an internet blackout during the protests against Kenya’s Finance Bill. The company attributed the disruption to damage to subsea cables.
Despite the usual repair time for such damage being months, Safaricom managed to fix the cables surprisingly quickly. The company later claimed that all telecoms were experiencing internet issues. Safaricom also faced accusations of assisting the police in tracking down protestors, with around 50 people still missing.
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Additionally, Safaricom, through its M-Pesa Foundation, is organizing medical camps in affected areas across the country.
