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No, Kenya’s Safaricom not giving customers KSh2,500 in Covid-19 ‘relief’

Kenyan mobile network operator Safaricom is giving customers KSh2,500 to cushion them against the burdens of the Covid-19 pandemic, claims a message circulating on Facebook.

“Covid Cash Relief from Safaricom,” it reads. “Safaricom PLC will be giving out *KES 2500* to all its users during this *Corona Pandemic* to help people while staying at home. Claim your share now.”

The post links to a website where people can supposedly claim the cash.

But is it legit? We checked.



‘This is false’


Africa Check asked Safaricom if it was giving out money during the outbreak.

“This is false. Information and all our initiatives is available here https://www.safaricom.co.ke/about/media-center/publications/press-releases,” Dennis Mbuvi, a communications business partner at Safaricom, told Africa Check.

Safaricom has posted a screenshot of the message on its Facebook page, with “FAKE” stamped on it.

“Kindly note we have not commissioned any website giving users Covid-19 relief cash,” it says in the caption.

Special rates for educational content


Safaricom then asks users to visit the company website to “learn more about the measures we have taken to support Kenyans”.

These include free mobile money transactions for amounts less than KSh1,000 over the three months, and improved home internet connectivity.

Safaricom has also “provided concessional rates for data access to specific educational content for learning institutions, donated thermal cameras worth KSh10 million to the Ministry of Health and supported the government in the establishment and operation of a 24-7 Covid-19 Information Centre”.

But Safaricom is not giving its customers cash relief of KSh2,500 during the Covid-19 crisis. – Grace Gichuhi




 

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