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Fury as DStv customers hit again with higher rates


DStv customers will pay more beginning next month after the pay-TV service provider increased the monthly charges for premium bouquet from Sh8,200 to Sh9,400.

MultiChoice, the owners of DStv Kenya, sent out the messages to all its customers alerting them on the price adjustments that will start on October 1, this year.

“Dear DStv subscriber, due to currency depreciation, please be advised that from 1 October 2015, the subscription for DStv Premium will be KES 9400 per month,” read the SMS.

The company, in a statement, defended the increased charges, explaining that they were necessitated by the depreciating shilling.

“For months, MultiChoice has held off passing through this price increase to subscribers and has absorbed the foreign exchange losses; however, it is no longer possible to avoid a price adjustment on DStv subscriptions,” the statement said.

The last increase was in April this year an increase MultiChoice chief operating officer Carel Snyman attributed to many factors including, impact on the subscriber, current inflation, satellite lease costs, programming costs and efficiencies effected within the company.

Product New Price (KES) % Increase
Premium 9 400 15%
Compact+ 6 400 15%
Compact 3 750 15%
Family 2 150 14%
Access 1 050 13%

The latest increase did not sit well with Kenyans who took to social media to rant.

Sheila Sendeyo (‏@SheilaSendeyo” tweeted: “9400 per month for DSTV premium subscription From 1st October… ???? Hello movie guy…”

Daniel Ngugi ‏(@Daniel_Ngugi) said: “Once you have reliable internet, you don’t need DSTV.”

Another user (‏@karuoro) predicted: “Basically, Pay TV is dead. Future is on-demand video over Internet. I think DSTV bi-monthly price increases are last kicks of a dying horse.”

Brian Wangwe ranted, “DSTV are funny tho, lose 2 of europe’s top leagues, repeat movies 90% of the time then hike the price of your product without improving it (sic).”