JKIA Terminal 1A
A tourist visiting Kenya was this week shocked to discover that the Safaricom SIM card he had purchased at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was registered under a different name.
The incident has been linked to a growing problem of cartels operating at the airport who are taking advantage of unsuspecting tourists in an attempt to rob them of their money.
The tourist who flew in from an unnamed foreign country landed at JKIA and decided to purchase a Safaricom SIM card which was sold to him for Ksh 1,000 from a branded unit at the airport.
However, when he signed up for M-PESA services, he rudely discovered that the SIM card was registered in the name of Ibrahim Were, a person he did not know.
According to our source who reported the incident, the JKIA Terminal 1 usually has a long queue of foreign visitors waiting to purchase SIM cards.
The problem is clearly not an isolated incident but a widespread practice that could potentially harm Kenya’s tourism industry.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, has called for action to be taken against Safaricom and their agents for deceiving tourists.
The incident could have had more serious consequences if the tourist had loaded money onto the M-PESA account.
“There seems to be a cartel colluding to rob tourists of their M-PESA,” the source said, accusing Safaricom of being complicit in the scam and turning a blind eye to the issue.
From this latest revelation, there appears to be a need for tighter regulations to curb the activities of such cartels at JKIA.
Relevant government authorities must take swift action to protect tourists and preserve Kenya’s reputation as a tourist destination.
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