Lead image for Telcos under pressure as scam complaints up 83pc.
Telecommunication companies, including Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom, face renewed pressure to strengthen consumer protection measures after complaints linked to scam calls and text messages surged 83 per cent to their highest level in a year, as fraudsters continue to misuse mobile networks to target customers.
Although telecommunications operators may not automatically be held liable for unlawful content transmitted through their networks, they could face legal responsibility where negligence is established — including failure to respond appropriately to known SIM-swap fraud risks, inadequate security safeguards or confirmed customer data breaches.
New disclosures from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) show complaints relating to fraud and scams increased to 86 between April and June 2026, up from 47 reported in the previous quarter.
The figure was also significantly higher than the 52 complaints recorded between October and December last year and the 23 lodged between July and September.
Fraud and scam complaints were among the leading consumer concerns during the quarter, alongside quality of service, digital financial services and mobile money, as well as SIM-related security risks.
The CA recorded 110 complaints related to digital financial services and mobile money during the review period, the highest level in at least a year.
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The figure was marginally higher than the 109 complaints received between January and March, but sharply above the 28 complaints reported between October and December and the 13 cases lodged between July and September last year.