The High Court has quashed the Communications Authority of Kenya's demand of Sh2 billion from Airtel Kenya as frequency spectrum fees, throwing a new line of relief for the mobile telecommunication company. Justice George Odunga gave the orders in a suit where Airtel Kenya was seeking to block the communications sector regulator's fresh demand for the money before the operator's licence can be renewed. He also gave orders compelling the authority to give Airtel company a license without any further delay. Last month, Airtel Kenya had taken its renewal of operating permit fight with the Communications Authority of Kenya to the High Court, laying bare details of the vicious three-year battle whose secrets have remained closely guarded. Airtel insisted that the CA had promised to merge its operating licences with the ones it purchased from Yu Mobile in 2014 for the $6.976 million (Sh718 million) it paid to acquire the Yu Mobile licences.

Source: The Star December 18, 2017 21:56 UTC