A settlement between the Competition Authority of Kenya and Safaricom leaves M-Pesa agents free to work with rival mobile money providers.

An announcement, made in the Kenya Gazette, follows a CAK investigation into an alleged infringement by the operator under the country’s Competition Act.

Back in July, the watchdog said all restrictive clauses in agreements between Safaricom and its agents must be expunged no later than 18 July (actually the operator pre-emptively removed exclusivity ahead of the CAK’s decision).

That is part of the settlement published in the gazette. Furthermore, the agents “are at liberty to transact the mobile money transfer businesses of any other mobile money transfer service providers”.

And, the settlement said, “that oversight by Safaricom be thereafter limited to business with the agents”.

Finally, each mobile money service provider is answerable to the Central Bank of Kenya.