Safaricom appointed Vodacom Tanzania m-commerce director Sitoyo Lopokoiyit as its financial services chief following the departure of Ronald Webb in July 2017.

Business Standard reported details of an internal memo from CEO Bob Collymore announcing the appointment of Lopokoiyit as director of financial services. It also marks the end of the interim m-Pesa boss Brian Wamatu’s stint in change of the unit.

Prior to joining Vodacom – now parent company of Safaricom – in September 2015, Lopokoiyit spent almost four years as Safaricom’s head of m-Pesa strategy.

The change at the top comes two months after the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) quashed speculation a long-awaited report into competition in the wireless sector would recommend splitting Safaricom’s m-Pesa arm from its mobile service. The move was slammed by rival operators, which accused CA of watering down the report’s original findings.

Safaricom is the dominant player in both the telecoms and mobile finance sectors in Kenya and its position was regularly under scrutiny from politicians and rival operators during the last year.

Although the regulator confirmed it had no plans to force the business to split, earlier this year – amid pressure from the CA – Safaricom began mobile money interoperability trials with Airtel. The move is tipped to open the market and stimulate competition.