Telkom Kenya

Last updated
Telkom Kenya
Company type Public Private Partnership
Industry Telecommunications
FoundedApril 5, 1999;25 years ago (1999-04-05)
Headquarters,
Key people
Eddy Njoroge
Chairman [1]
Mugo Kibati
Chief Executive Officer [2]
ProductsTelecommunications services
Internet services
Revenue KSh.40 billion/= (2010)
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Telkom Kenya is an integrated telecommunications provider in Kenya. It was previously a part of the Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) which was the sole provider of both postal and telecommunication services. The company was established as a telecommunications operator in April 1999, after the split of KPTC into the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), the Postal Corporation of Kenya (POSTA) and Telkom Kenya. As of 2023, the company is fully owned the Government of Kenya. [3]

Contents

Services

The company operates and maintains the infrastructure over which Kenya's various internet service providers operate. As of 2004, most internet service was provided via dial-up service. Jambonet, an important Kenyan ISP, is a subsidiary of Telkom Kenya. It also offers mobile GSM voice and high speed internet services under the Orange Kenya brand, in which it is the 3rd in market share after Safaricom and Airtel Kenya. [4] In 2018, it was announced [5] that Airtel Kenya was considering a merger with Telkom Kenya. In March 2018, the company resumed a mobile-money service that it had dropped in 2017. Referred to as T-kash, the service is a direct competitor to the M-pesa service, offered by market-leader Safaricom. [6]

History

In 2007 France Télécom (now Orange S.A.) acquired 51% of Telkom Kenya's shares at a cost of US$390 million. [7] In November 2012, the shareholding structure changed due to a decision by the Kenyan government to convert its shareholder loans at that time, into equity in order to ease Telkom Kenya's debt burden. [8] It was subsequently confirmed that the Kenya government would retain 40% shareholding down from 49% with the remaining shares held by France Télécom. [9] In January 2013, France Télécom increased its stake in Telkom Kenya to 70% as a consequence of the government's failure to provide its full portion of the 2012 funding. [10] In June 2017, the firm was re-branded from "Orange Kenya" to "Telkom Kenya". [11]

Past shareholding

On November 9, 2015, Helios Investment Partners announced that they were going to purchase France Télécom's entire stake in Telkom Kenya. [12] [13]

Subsequent to the agreement to buy, Helios negotiated with the Kenyan government to own 40 percent in the new joint venture, with the investment firm retaining 60 percent. [14] In June 2016, final regulatory approval was received for the deal to proceed. [15] In October 2022, the Kenyan government acquired the remaining 60% of Telkom Kenya from Helios in a $50.4 million USD deal. At that time, the Kenyan government owned 100 percent of Telkom Kenya. [16]

Current shareholding

In October 2023, Infrastructure Corporation of Africa LLC (ICA), based in the United Arab Emirates was selected to acquire the 60 percent shareholding previously owned by Helios Investment Partners. After all the approvals and documentation, the current shareholding looks as depicted in the table below. [17]

Telkom Kenya Stock Ownership
RankName of OwnerDomicilePercentage Ownership
1Infrastructure Corporation of Africa LLC United Arab Emirates
60.0
2 Government of Kenya Kenya
40.0
Total
100.0

See also

Related Research Articles

Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) was a government company that provided telecommunication and postal services across Kenya. In 1999, the KPTC was separated into three separate entities - Telkom Kenya, Kenya Postal Corporation and the Communication Commission of Kenya,(CCK) the licensing and regulatory authority of the government.

Safaricom PLC is a listed Kenyan mobile network operator headquartered at Safaricom House in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the largest telecommunications provider in Kenya, and one of the most profitable companies in the East and Central Africa region. The company offers mobile telephony, mobile money transfer, consumer electronics, ecommerce, cloud computing, data, music streaming, and fibre optic services. It is most renowned as the home of M-PESA, a mobile banking SMS-based service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airtel Tanzania</span>

Airtel Tanzania Limited is the third-largest mobile network operator in Tanzania operated by Airtel Africa, which is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel of India, behind Vodacom Tanzania and Tigo Tanzania. As of September 2017, Airtel Tanzania had 10.6 million voice subscribers. As of December 2017 according to data provided by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, Airtel Tanzania controlled 27.1 percent of Tanzania's mobile telephone market by customer numbers, at that time estimated at 10.86 million.

Uganda Telecommunications Corporation Limited (UTCL), also (UTel), is an information and communication technology network company in Uganda owned by the government of Uganda. UTel acquired the assets and some of the liabilities of the defunct Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) which was also owned by the Ugandan government. UTL was previously in receivership which it entered after the Libyan company that owned about 69 percent shares abandoned the investment in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Bank of Kenya</span> Commercial bank in Kenya

National Bank of Kenya (NBK), also known as National Bank, is a commercial bank in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the central bank, and national banking regulator. Effective September 2019, the bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Kenya Commercial Bank Group.

Sidian Bank, formerly known as K-Rep Bank, is a commercial bank in Kenya, licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator.

Centum Investment Company Plc, commonly known as Centum is a public East African investment company. It operates as an affiliate of the Kenyan government-owned Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTN Uganda</span> Largest telecom company in Uganda

MTN Uganda is the largest telecom company in Uganda, with 11.2 million subscribers, accounting for 55 percent market share, as of 30 June 2017. By 31 December 2019, its customer base had increased to 12.6 million customers. In March 2021, the Uganda Communications Commission estimated the number of MTN customers in Uganda at 15 million, out of 28.3 million mobile network subscribers, thereby attaining a 53 percent market share. In May 2024, MTNU registered her 20 millionth customer in the country.

Christopher John Kirubi, born in Murang'a County, was a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur, and industrialist. He was a director at Centum Investment Company, a business conglomerate, of which he was the largest individual shareholder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airtel Africa</span> African subsidiary of Airtel, providing telecommunications and mobile money services

Airtel Africa plc is an Indian multinational company that provides telecommunications and mobile money services in 14 countries in Africa, primarily in East, Central and West Africa. Airtel Africa is majority owned by the Indian telecommunications company Bharti Airtel. Airtel Africa offers mobile voice and data services as well as mobile money services both nationally and internationally. Airtel Nigeria is the most profitable unit of Airtel Africa, due to its cheap data plans in Nigeria. As of March 2019, Airtel had over 99 million subscribers in the continent. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

The Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU) is a public university located in Nairobi. The university offers IT & related courses, Mass media, Business, Engineering, Physical Sciences and Social sciences education.

Britam Holding PLC is a leading diversified financial services group and is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The group has presence in seven Africa countries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Mozambique and Malawi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equitel</span> Kenyan mobile network operator

Finserve Africa Limited is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Kenya. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Equity Group Holdings and is using the Airtel Kenya network as its carrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equity Group Holdings</span> Financial services holding company based in the African Great Lakes region

Equity Group Holdings Limited (EGHL), formerly Equity Bank Group, is a financial services holding company based in the African Great Lakes region. EGHL's headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, with subsidiaries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and a representative office in Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equity Banque Commerciale du Congo</span> Bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Equity Banque Commerciale du Congo (EquityBCDC) is a commercial bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a merger between Equity Bank Congo (EBC), formerly ProCredit Bank DRCongo, and Banque Commerciale du Congo. This followed the acquisition of majority shareholding in both banks by the Equity Group Holdings Limited, a Kenya-based financial services conglomerate with total assets in excess of US$10 billion.

Helios Investment Partners is a private equity investing firm operating in Africa and based in London, United Kingdom, with additional offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airtel Uganda</span> Ugandan telecommunications company

Airtel Uganda Limited is a mobile communications and information technology services provider in Uganda. The company also offers mobile funds transfer and banking services known as Airtel Payments Bank. Airtel Uganda Limited is a subsidiary of Airtel Africa PLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airtel Kenya</span> Kenyan telecommunications services provider

Airtel Kenya Ltd., a subsidiary of Airtel Africa, is the second largest telecommunications services provider in Kenya after Safaricom PLC. It has an estimated 16.2 million subscribers of the total 59.8 million subscribers in the Kenyan market equivalent to 27.2% market share. Airtel market share has been rising steadily over the last few years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia</span> Ethiopian mobile network operator

Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia P.L.C. (STE), previously known as Global Partnership for Ethiopia BV (GPE), is a subsidiary of the Kenyan mobile operator Safaricom in Ethiopia, licensed with fee of US$850 million on 9 July 2021. This fee made it the single largest foreign direct investment into Ethiopia. The firm roll out telephony services from 2022.

References

  1. Mark Okuttah (28 June 2020). "Telkom Kenya owners pump Sh30bn after Helios deal". Daily Nation . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  2. Bonface Otieno (9 November 2018). "Telkom appoints Mugo Kibati as CEO". Daily Nation . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  3. PK (4 June 2016). "The History of Postal Corporation of Kenya". Nairobi: Postal Corporation of Kenya (PK). Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  4. CommsUpdate (24 March 2016). "Airtel Kenya plans 4G launch by year-end". Telegeography.com. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  5. "Telkom Kenya and Airtel seek merger to take on Safaricom: sources". Reuters. 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  6. Ngugi, Brian (12 March 2018). "Telkom returns to mobile money business with T-kash". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  7. "Orange to buy 51% of Telkom Kenya". Telecompaper.com. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  8. Mutegi, Mugambi (22 November 2012). "State turns its Telkom Kenya loan into equity". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  9. Omondi, Michael (27 November 2012). "Treasury's stake in Telkom Kenya cut after debt swap". Business Daily Africa . Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  10. Nyabiage, Jevans (12 January 2013). "Government Loses Ownership Grip In Telkom Kenya". The Standard (Kenya) . Nairobi. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  11. Muthoki Mumo (6 June 2017). "Telkom bets on dominance report in turnaround plans". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  12. OSA (9 November 2015). "Orange signs an agreement with Helios Investment Partners for the sale of its stake in Telkom Kenya" (PDF). Orange S.A. (OSA). Paris, France. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  13. Lilian Ochieng (9 November 2015). "Helios buys France Telecom's stake at Telkom Kenya". Daily Nation . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  14. Anyanzwa, James (6 March 2016). "Kenya gets 10 percent Telkom stake for free as part of Helios' deal". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  15. Okuttah, Mark (4 June 2016). "Firm gets the nod to sell 70% percent stake in Telkom". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  16. Alan Burkitt-Gray (5 October 2022). "Kenya snaps up Helios's 60% of Telkom for just $50 million". Capacity Media. Johannesburg, South Africa. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  17. Charles Mwaniki (5 October 2023). "Emirati company gets majority stake in Telkom on Helios exit". Business Daily . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 5 October 2023.