So I have been watching and reading the debate on thin-sim and the drama got me thinking about something….

Almost every Kenyan bank today is running a USSD mobile banking service. When you dial that number (eg *111#) ….and you enter your PIN to transact….. your PIN is transported between your phone and your bank in an open text (clear text aka no encryption) that can be read easily. I am sure both Safaricom and Equity know this for a fact. With this understanding, is the thin-sim card discussion really about the security for consumer or is it market-share politics? Can the two companies not find a secure work around if it really is about security? Imagine if CCK / Central Bank had refused MPESA citing consumer security because they could tell of the many mpesa fraudsters reported daily.

Further, can CCK not “order” safaricom to open their sim card (subject to commercial terms) for more SimToolkit applications in which case Equity Mobile Money services would sit right next to MPESA menu on that same sim card (and perhaps there would have been no need for a new MVNO – ok so am being too ambitious!).

Isn’t the big deal Equity’s desire to enter the Mobile Money market and for those following closely, you know the difference between “M-Shwari” and the now almost dead “M-Kesho”

What are your thoughts?

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