Wrap-Up: Our pick of main stories, Tuesday March 10, 2015

James Mwangi, CEO Equity Bank
Equity Bank’s Equitel Mobile hits 420,000 subscribers with over 5.5 million transactions …Communications Authority to delink Signet from KBC…KCB, Safaricom partner to launch ‘KCB-M-PESA Account’….and much more

Equity Bank’s Equitel Mobile hits 420,000 subscribers with over 5.5 million transactions

Equity Group’s Equitel Mobile is set to grow according to today’s investor briefing by the Group’s CEO Dr. James Mwangi who said he was optimistic that the new Equitel mobile channel will be equally popular as it was seeing rapid uptake in Kenya with over 420,000 subscribers who effected over 5.5 Million transactions in December alone.

This is according to Techmoran. Showing early positive signs that the service will be huge.In November, Equitel Mobile decided to use normal SIM Cards for its mobile money after fears that the thin-SIM technology the firm wanted to use was not safe for mobile money transactions. The Central Bank and the Communications Authority had given it a go-ahead to roll out the service. Equity Bank had planned to launch five million ultra-SIM cards.

Communications Authority to delink Signet from KBC

Kenya’s telecom industry regulator Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) is set to detach broadcast signal distributor, Signet from national broadcaster, KBC, to enable the former to transmit content from other media stations in pure discretion.

The announcement was made today by CA director general Francis Wangusi during a press briefing held at Ole Sereni where the Authority in consultation with key stakeholders subjected the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Act draft regulations to public for consultations.

KCB, Safaricom partner to launch ‘KCB-M-PESA Account’

KCB Group and Safaricom have today launched a new mobile banking product dubbed the ‘KCB-M-PESA Account’. KCB-M-PESA Account will enable customers to get loans using their mobile phones, the loans will be offered with a flexible repayment period ranging from one month to six months. In addition the facility fee for the loan will start from as low as 2 per cent per month. Customers will also have the option of two fixed savings options, a fixed deposit account and a target savings account.

Jovago.com expands to South Sudan

Jovago.com, an Online Hotel Booking Platform has announced expansion in South Sudan. This comes at a time when the young country is looking into improving its telecommunication infrastructure through acquiring international fiber connection by the end of 2015. Almost alienated by years of war, this move aims at giving the country maximum exposure and online accessibility to the global tourism industry.