Inside Surgeon’s Bid to Stop Bonga Points Expiry

Safaricom has won the first round against Nakuru-based surgeon Dr Magare Gikenyi in his bid to stop Safaricom from introducing expiry dates on its popular loyalty points scheme. The telco had in November last year announced that all unredeemed Bonga points would expire after three years. Bonga Points accumulated before December 31, 2019, expired effective January 1, 2023.

Dr Gikenyi wanted the expiry to suspend the expiry dates and to subsequently declare them íllegal. The surgeon argued that Safaricom abuséd its market dominance and failed to properly communicate to customers the introduction of expiry dates.

Declining to suspend the expiry dates, Justice Mugure Thande stated that the petition was filed at the ‘very last minute’. Justice Thande directed the matter to be mentioned for directions on March 6.

“The petition and application which have been filed at the very last minute be served upon all parties by 16.1.23,” she ruled.

You earn 1 Bonga point for every Ksh10 spent on voice calls, SMS, or data. From Ksh3 billion in 2015, the value of unredeemed bonga points has been rising and stood at Ksh4.5 billion as of March 2022.

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Safaricom explained the decision to introduce expiry dates on bonga points as a bid to encourage increased redemption and unlock additional revenue. The surgeon in his petition put Safaricom on the spot for practically forcing customers to redeem their bonga points, questioning the telco’s practices.

“It is unfair for the respondents (Safaricom) to fail their subscribers by forcing them to redeem their loyalty points, or else they lose them through its arbitrary and irrational actions,” the surgeon argued.

Dr Gikenyi also argued that the move was poorly communicated, stating that it “sprung up from the blues”. He further questioned the impact of the move on its customers who might face challenges accessing or comprehending information on the action.

“Considering the verse geographical background of Kenya, high illiteracy levels in some parts of the country, lack of internet in some areas, and many other factors, many Kenyans will suffer due to poor administrative action of the respondents,” his petition read in part.

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