Why CAK Backed Safaricom in Airtel's Voice Pricing Complaint

The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has dismissed Airtel’s complaint against Safaricom over discounted voice call prices, ruling that the promotion complied with existing telecom regulations despite claims it amounted to predatory pricing.

The dispute centred on Safaricom’s promotional voice tariffs, which Airtel argued were priced below the mobile termination rate (MTR) of Sh0.41 per minute. Airtel alleged the offers unfairly undercut competitors and breached competition law by making it difficult for smaller operators to compete.

According to disclosures by the competition watchdog, Airtel challenged a promotion linked to Safaricom’s Tunukiwa platform, saying some customers were effectively paying between Sh0.10 and Sh0.30 per minute for voice calls, including taxes.

Airtel argued that pricing below the MTR constituted predatory pricing, where a dominant company deliberately sells below cost to weaken rivals before recovering losses through higher prices later.

CAK, however, found no breach after reviewing the promotion.

The regulator said Safaricom’s discounted offer fell within the promotional framework established under telecommunications regulations.

“It was established that the promotion was restricted to a maximum of 90 days as provided under the Kenya Information and Communication Act and Regulations and could be repeated after at least three months to safeguard any negative impact on competition,” CAK said.

“The matter was therefore closed.”

The ruling hands Safaricom another regulatory victory in its long-running disputes with Airtel over pricing, market competition and the treatment of the country’s largest telecom operator.

Rather than taking the matter to the Communications Authority of Kenya, Airtel filed the complaint with CAK because it centred on competition law.

The complaint referenced offers under Safaricom’s Tunukiwa promotions, including 100 minutes of talk time for Sh10, 30 minutes for Sh10, 60 minutes for Sh20 and unlimited calls within one hour for Sh20.

The Kenya Information and Communications (Tariff) Regulations require operators to maintain tariffs that are just and reasonable while supporting efficient operations and fair competition.

Separate guidelines issued by the Communications Authority allow promotional tariffs to run for up to 90 days before operators must observe a three-month break prior to repeating them.

CAK concluded Safaricom’s campaign complied with those rules and therefore did not warrant competition enforcement.

The authority has also maintained in previous assessments that it has not found evidence that Safaricom abused its position in Kenya’s telecommunications market, despite repeated complaints from rivals over competition.

Safaricom has similarly rejected allegations of anti-competitive conduct, arguing that competition is driven by investment, network quality and innovation rather than regulatory intervention.

The complaint comes as Kenya’s voice market remains fiercely contested.

Communications Authority data for the quarter ended March 2026 shows domestic mobile voice traffic rose to 32.3 billion minutes even as average monthly voice usage per subscriber eased to 128.1 minutes. SMS usage also declined as more consumers turned to internet-based messaging services such as WhatsApp for everyday communication.

Safaricom retained the largest share of domestic mobile voice traffic at 64.9 percent, leaving Airtel as its closest challenger in the market.

Those market dynamics help explain why voice promotions remain a battleground despite broader changes in how Kenyans communicate. While messaging apps continue to reshape consumer behaviour, voice services remain an important source of customer activity, prompting operators to compete aggressively on pricing while keeping a close watch on each other’s promotional campaigns.

The dispute is the latest chapter in a rivalry that has also played out over mobile termination rates, market share and the regulation of Kenya’s telecommunications sector. Although CAK has now closed Airtel’s complaint, competition between the country’s two largest mobile operators remains firmly in focus.

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