By John Mutiso
Safaricom has reinstated its “No Expiry” mobile data bundle packages after a wave of public anger that erupted when the amounts were silently halved.
The reversal comes less than a week after customers noticed they were getting far less data for the same price, a cut that effectively doubled per-MB costs overnight.
Starting around October 22, many Safaricom subscribers discovered that their longstanding data bundles had been quietly restructured: 255 MB for Sh 51 dropped to 102 MB; 1 GB for Sh 250 was cut to 500 MB.
The reductions, applied without formal customer notifications, caused widespread outrage. Social media channels lit up with condemnation, and many accused the telco of stealthy price increases at a time when many Kenyans are already feeling economic pressure.
The public reaction was fierce, especially on social platforms. On X (formerly Twitter), the backlash included complaints from everyday users and sharper criticism from political figures.
Politician Boniface Khalwale, in a post denouncing “obscene profits,” urged Safaricom to cut data and Fuliza fees instead of quietly raising prices, pointing to the company’s hefty half-year profits as evidence of profiteering.
One widely shared post on Reddit captured the mood among urban subscribers: “Sh51 now gives 102MB instead of 255MB … Meanwhile their data revenue jumped 18% to Sh44B last half.” Another user lamented on Reddit, “Safaricom just HALVED our No-Expiry bundles with zero warning … They sent a lame ‘we’re fixing an issue’ SMS after it already happened.”
Such posts resonated widely, the Reddit thread garnered hundreds of upvotes, indicating broad frustration among users, especially in urban and low-income settings where data bundles are critical for access to jobs, education, and communication.
In response to the uproar, Safaricom issued a statement calling the cuts a “technical issue.” The firm restored the original data allocations and notified subscribers by SMS: “Dear customer, the issue with your non-expiry bundles is fixed and extra bundles added. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
Additionally, customers who had bought bundles under the reduced allocations have reportedly been refunded the difference. Analysts and consumer advocates argue that regulators should require telcos to give advance notice of bundle changes, ensure clear pricing disclosure, and offer safe, regulated alternatives for vulnerable users. Otherwise, similar “stealth hikes” could reoccur any time operators face cost or profit pressures.
