NASA boycott will ruin economy, say Safaricom dealers

An association of Safaricom dealers says they have incurred major losses during the election period even as they urged Kenyans to reject calls by the National Super Alliance (NASA) to boycott services of the telecommunications company.

The Safaricom Dealers Association told journalists on Monday during a press conference that the boycott calls were a political fight and that politics should not be used to kill businesses in Kenya.

“We are appealing to Kenyans to think carefully before choosing to fight these (political) battles before they ruin themselves and the country,” said Jerim Ouko, the association’s Nyanza region representative.

Ouko further added; “This is a political matter and our joint position as members of different political parties is that we cannot progress as a country if we continue to kill what we have grown together.”

The group, through their chairperson, Esther Muchemi, said that Safaricom dealers had been affected by the ongoing electioneering period, stating that some M-Pesa agents received lower commission during the political campaign periods as compared to the season before.

The association however opened the door for dialogue with NASA in a bid to convince the opposition coalition to call off the boycott, but maintained that they will only do so from a business point of view.

“We don’t want to engage from a political perspective. We will only be talking from a business perspective and how this boycott affects the economy,” said Muchemi.

The association constitutes dealers and M-Pesa agents of Safaricom, the leading telecommunications service provider in the country.

According to Ouko, their members own over 250,000 shops across the country and the boycott threatens to adversely affect their welfare.

“These (Safaricom dealers and agents) are your brothers and sisters. They have families to feed and children to educate,” Ouko said.

NASA lawmakers on Friday, November 3, directed their supporters to boycott business corporations and businesses which they allege support the Jubilee ruling party, naming Safaricom, dairy producer Brookside and BIDCO manufacturers.