The Government of Kenya has outlined nine stringent conditions that Vodacom must meet before acquiring a 15% stake in Safaricom. This divestment aims to raise between KES 240.5 billion and KES 244.5 billion for the National Infrastructure Fund and the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

• The Government insists the transaction is a shareholder level adjustment, not impacting Safaricom's operations or relationships with Kenyan consumers, suppliers, or employees.
• Key conditions include: no employee redundancies, continued support for Safaricom Foundation, mandatory consultation for regional expansion, and ensuring the Chairman and CEO are always Kenyan citizens.
• The new ownership structure, if approved, would see Vodafone Kenya Limited hold 55%, the Government of Kenya 20%, and retail investors 25%.

Safaricom has introduced new promotional pop-ups within its M-PESA SIM Toolkit, offering discounted data and minutes bundles to users attempting to send money to Airtel Kenya or purchase Airtel services. This move, seen by some as uncompetitive behavior, has also become a "hack" for savvy users to access cheaper Safaricom bundles.

• Users are seeing offers like KES 20 = 1.25 GB for 1 hour or KES 10 = 100 minutes until midnight, significantly cheaper than standard offers.
• The M-PESA promotions appear when users initiate transactions towards Airtel while using their Safaricom wallet.
• Some users are intentionally initiating fake Airtel transactions to trigger the discounted Safaricom bundles for their own use, then canceling the original transfer.
• This development follows claims by Safaricom's Ethiopian team that the M-PESA app is being blocked on Ethio Telecom’s mobile data network.
• Safaricom has also added a new mandatory recipient phone number reconfirmation step for M-PESA transactions, aimed at reducing wrong transfers.

Kenya is undergoing a significant corporate shake-up involving Safaricom, its most valuable company, as Vodacom acquires majority control through a KES 245 billion deal. This transaction sees the Kenyan government reduce its stake and receive substantial funds.

• The Kenyan government is selling a 15% stake in Safaricom to Vodafone Kenya Limited for KES 204.3 billion, achieving a total cash inflow of KES 244.5-245 billion including advance dividends.
• After the deal, Vodacom will hold 55% majority control of Safaricom, while the Government of Kenya will retain a 20% stake and public investors 25%.
• The funds from the sale are earmarked for a National Infrastructure Fund and a Sovereign Wealth Fund, with nine key undertakings from Vodacom safeguarding Kenyan leadership, jobs, and the Safaricom brand and foundations.