Pupils tackling their KCPE exams[photo/ nation.co.ke]
Challa Communications, the firm that was contracted by Safaricom to relay KCPE results via SMS, has started refunding customers for double billing and unrendered services during the release of KCPE results.
This was after Safaricom ordered the firm to effect the refunds after some 424,011 requests never returned results.
Candidates, guardians and schools were asked to send index numbers to short code 22252 to receive their results at Sh25 per SMS where some were never rendered forcing them to used other alternatives.
This means Challa communications will have to part with at least 10.6 million Kenyan shillings to exhaustively comply with the order.
"Dear customer, we apologise for your recent inconvenience using the KCPE short-code. We have refunded Sh50 for deductions done without service delivery," an SMS from Challa commnications to a customer read.
The refunds are for customers whose queries never received a response and those who sent requests more than once due to delays.
Chairman of Safaricom Foundation and director of strategy and Innovation Mr. Joseph Ogutu said in a statement on November 23 that Challa communications had informed them the problem was as a result of technical hitch on its systems.