Rogue telco Safaricom Plc is once again in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
Under the ‘Safaricom Ideas Theft’ trending key word on Twitter, one can read how a Kenyan, floated the idea of enabling under 18 year olds Kenyans use MPESA.
M-Teen Kenya shared their idea with Safaricom as usual, but Safaricom rebranded it to MPESA – Go and launched it without their input.
If you’ve been following; this is not the first time.
Safaricom Plc has shown that they can steal intellectual property, even if it is registered and known, and get away with it.
Examples
In 2020, Safaricom launched the Tuwaanike to stem identity theft on MPESA. Eight months earlier, innovator Obutu Anyona had shared with them though their Zindua Portal (now deleted due to court cases)
Unrelenting Obutu is then threatened with a ‘Wanted By DCI’ poster circulating on social media.
January 2021, Safaricom Plc copies the entire Intellectually registered Kibo Capital Group Limited’s PaymentGateLLP e-Receipt and rebrands it to MPESA Bill manager.
Court cases stagnate as judges are compromised.
In 2017, Safaricom launches the MPESA – 1 Tap where one can pay for their purchase on the supermarket through a wrist band.
Safaricom wins the case on technicalities. Evidence shows the judges were arm-twisted.
In 2022, Information reaching Cnyakundi.com shows Safaricom Plc stole a Kenya Copyright Board registered proposal by Transcend Media Group Limited to launch Blaze BYOB.
A question raised in Parliament over Safaricom’s monopolistic behavior and theft of intellectual property by then nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi, but up to now, Safaricom has not responded.
Read more.
Good afternoon KOT, today's let's get #FactsOnMPesaGo straight. This was an idea of @mteen_ke but as usual Safaricom Ideas Theft did the thing and went ahead with the product without any compensation. @CJMarthaKoome @PeterNdegwa_ pic.twitter.com/zRJuVmrJfV
— 𝙾𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚔𝚒 𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚢 (@Ondieki_001) January 10, 2023
.@PeterNdegwa_ as the CEO of @SafaricomPLC you should understand that it was not right to allow Mpesa Go to be launched because the idea was stolen@citizentvkenya @ntvkenya @K24Tv @Statehousekenya @WilliamsRuto#FactsOnMPesaGo
— KAIRETU
Safaricom Ideas Theft pic.twitter.com/BicIwcjToy(@KairetuMartha__) January 10, 2023
(@KairetuMartha__) M-Teen was the initial product but unfortunately the big Telco found a way of stealing the idea and named it Mpesa Go. #FactsOnMPesaGo
— 𝙾𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚔𝚒 𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚢 (@Ondieki_001) January 10, 2023
Safaricom Ideas Theft pic.twitter.com/QFeg3aRRxd
Safaricom should start acknowledging people like these ones in their ideas. Safaricom Ideas Theft #FactsOnMPesaGo pic.twitter.com/DErIKmXGeS
— Queen Of The South (@___Achieng) January 10, 2023
Intellectual property theft in Kenya
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