My name is Michael Mundia Kamau, and I have been the holder of Safaricom cell phone number 0720 761349 for the last 18 years, since January 2004. I write this letter with a heavy heart to express my profound disappointment and frustration over Safaricom’s abrupt deactivation of my cell phone number. This action, I believe, is likely related to the registration of subscribers exercise that concluded on October 15, 2022, following a six-month extension from April 15, 2022.
I chose to disregard this registration exercise because Safaricom had conducted a similar exercise approximately ten or eleven years ago, either in 2011 or 2012. At that time, I dutifully visited the Safaricom Customer Care Centre on Moi Avenue in Nairobi. I presented my National Identity Card to a Safaricom employee, who entered my details into a computer and confirmed that I was duly registered as a Safaricom subscriber in compliance with the new law enacted back then.
Given this prior registration, I saw no logical reason to engage in what seemed to me a redundant and unnecessary repeat exercise in 2022. To my mind, this was a waste of time and indicative of a broader incompetence within Safaricom’s operations. It raises the question: is Safaricom, a company once seen as a stalwart of telecommunications in Kenya, now on the verge of collapse due to mismanagement?
Historically, we have seen mighty companies fall. Pan American Airways (Pan Am), once a global aviation giant, abruptly ceased operations in 1991. In Kenya, entities such as East African Railways and Harbours (EAR & H) and East African Posts and Telecommunications (EA & PT) also collapsed despite their former dominance. Is Safaricom now following in their footsteps?
I cannot fathom why Safaricom has terminated my phone number. Since January 2004, I have complied with Safaricom’s guidelines and regulations, and my phone number has never been used for any illicit activities. I challenge Safaricom to review the history of my phone number to confirm this.
Therefore, I humbly request that Safaricom reactivates my cell phone number 0720 761349. This is not a demand, nor do I claim it as a right; it is a simple, earnest request. The abrupt deactivation of my number has caused significant inconvenience, and I see no justifiable reason for this action.
Should Safaricom choose not to honor my request, I will adapt. As Muammar Gaddafi once stated, Libya survived 5,000 years without oil and could survive another 5,000 years without it. Similarly, Kenya survived millennia without Safaricom, and it can continue to do so. If my request is denied, I will re-engineer my lifestyle to accommodate the absence of a cell phone.
I reflect on the past to underscore my point. Our ancestors thrived without the technology we now deem essential. Their resilience and adaptability enabled their survival, and I will draw from their example if need be.
This situation has forced me to pen this lengthy letter, highlighting the incompetence and mismanagement within Safaricom that led to the crude and abrupt deactivation of my phone number. I complied with the registration requirements in 2011 or 2012 and saw no reason to repeat the process in 2022.
In closing, I extend my best wishes to Safaricom. May the company continue to flourish and reign over the telecommunications industry for many years to come. My request for reactivation of my cell phone number 0720 761349 is sincere, and I hope it will be met with the consideration it deserves.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Best Regards,
Michael Mundia Kamau
(Republished with permission from email)
