A Safaricom shop along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL Safaricom has introduced four new prefix numbers.
The new phone number prefixes beginning with 0112, 0113, 0114, and 0115 will be available free of charge with customers only required to activate their lines with a top-up of Sh50 airtime after choosing the phone number they wish.
The move to release the new series of numbers is necessitated by increased demand for SIM cards, mobile data and machine-to-machine communication, and other emerging technologies that require telecommunication numbers.
“20 years ago, we began Safaricom with 17,000 customers and a commitment to our community to transform lives. Our customers have grown to more than 35 million today on the back of our commitment and our constant investment in innovation. The new phone numbers we are launching today will help meet a strong demand for our services that is especially driven by new mobile data customers,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom.
The move is part of the company’s customer initiatives to mark 20 years since the company was launched in Kenya, with the new numbers available at all Safaricom shops, dealer outlets and agents countrywide.
The launch of the new numbers also comes hot on the heels of the 0110 and 0111 prefixes introduced in February.
Kenyans seem to have warmed up to the new numbers that break away from the traditional 07***.
Other Safaricom prefixes include 070X, 071X, 072X, 0740-43, 0745-46, 0748, 0757-59, 0768-69 and 079X.
The new prefix numbers were launched by the Communications Authority (CA) in May 2019.
“The introduction of the new mobile numbering prefix 01 is in line with National Numbering Plan developed in 2002 by the Authority, in consultation with ICT industry operators and other stakeholders,” the authority said then in a statement then.
