KCPE results: Safaricom orders Sh10m refund to subscribers more than 400 000 requests affected

 Safaricom has ordered a firm to refund over Sh10.6 million to its customers who were billed more than once to receive Standard Eight national exam results.

Safaricom on Thursday said the double-billing by Challa Communications Limited, a third party licensed by the Communications Authority of Kenya, was due to a technical hitch.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) contracted Challa Communications to provide the service.

Further, Safaricom also wants the subscribers that were charged but did not receive any response for Challa to get a refund.

Candidates, guardians and schools with candidates were asked to send their index numbers to the short code 22252 to receive their results.

Each message cost Sh25.

Safaricom said a total of 424, 011 such requests were affected in the double billing or charging with no response.

“We have instructed Challa Communications to refund all of the affected customers starting this afternoon, targeting those who queried the system more than once, as well as those who may have been billed without receiving any response,” Safaricom said in a statement signed by Mr Joe Ogutu, the director of strategy.

In the statement, Safaricom said Challa had informed them of a technical challenge that meant customers who queried the system experienced delays in receiving the results.

“This prompted some customers to repeat their query, and in the process, with some billed multiple times for each attempt. As a result, 424, 011 requests were affected,” said Mr Ogutu.

Safaricom promised to help Challa Communications deal with any technical hitches in future when sending results. 

“Following a number of customer complaints related to the 22252 short code used to deliver KCPE results, Safaricom initiated a full investigation with a view to ensuring that all customers were able to use the service and were not overcharged for the use,” the telecoms giant said in the statement

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