Airtel Kenya to offer Kenyans free access to Twitter

Kenyan social media users on prepaid mobile devices have received an early gift this festive season. Airtel Kenya has announced that it is offering its prepaid mobile users free access to Twitter until January 2015. For a limited period, according to the mobile operator, the offer will allow customers to enjoy free access to Twitter through web browsers and the official Twitter Android or Windows Phone apps.

Airtel Kenya CEO Adil EI Youssefi added that: “We have always been committed to delivering experiences that are innovative and relevant for our customers. This offer reinforces our focus on this promise and adds to our list of many industry firsts.”

Though the Twitter page is free, standard data charges will still apply for viewing external links, pictures, videos and other media.

We previously reported on Twitter trends in Kenya and this offer by Airtel Kenya will allow for a far more unconstrained use of the social network in the East-African country.

In fact, there is a widely shared thought that Twitter’s co-founder, Evan Williams, sent the first ever tweet in Kenya in August 2007. The number of Kenyans on Twitter is guessed at more than 250 000 active Twitter accounts in Nairobi or six accounts for every 100 residents. About 80% of the country’s population has a mobile phone.

In a statement, EI Youssefi revealed that:

“Customers are increasingly relying on the mobile devices for accessing everything from emails to music to social networks. In conjunction with this trend, we are pleased to introduce 3 months of free access to Twitter to our prepaid customers. Our customers will now be able to enjoy Twitter’s rich interface on their mobile web browsers free of charge. This initiative will introduce new users to an exciting world of possibilities that mobile internet enables, thus providing an impetus to data services market.”

According to Airtel Kenya, the Twitter App has been customised so that every Airtel customer accessing Twitter will be able to view a message on the header and footer of the app. The message will mention that Twitter is free of charge with Airtel. On this customised Twitter, when a user opens an external link a message of additional data consumption charges will pop up as this free offer only covers Twitter.