SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has responded after President William Ruto remarked that Starlink was introducing healthy competition to local internet providers.
In a statement on X on Tuesday, September 24, Musk echoed President Ruto's comments, emphasizing that competition pushes local providers to improve their services.
"As the President of Kenya says, Starlink causes local competitors to provide better services," Elon Musk posted on X.
Speaking in New York, USA, during a Kenya Business and Investment Roundtable, President Ruto claimed that Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa was sometimes not happy with him for introducing Starlink in Kenya.
The Head of State, however, noted that the introduction of Starlink has encouraged Safaricom to improve its services and raise its standards.
Read More
"I have my CEO for Safaricom here and sometimes he's not very happy with me for bringing other characters like Elon Musk and others into the space.
"But you see, I keep encouraging Peter that competition helps you keep ahead. And he has been doing pretty well, I must admit. He has really upped his game," Ruto remarked.
Safaricom was previously on the spot after it asked the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to reconsider its decision to grant a license to Starlink internet providers.
The telco giant asked the regulator to assess the risks of allowing satellite internet providers to operate without an agreement with local companies.
CA, in response, said Safaricom is free to raise regulatory concerns about independent satellite providers, including Starlink.
