Bharti, Safaricom receive conditional approval to buy Kenyan rival

Yu is the no.3 network in Kenya, which is perated by Essar Telecoms

Kenya's telecoms regulator granted conditional approval to the nation's biggest telecoms operators, Safaricom and the local unit of Bharti Airtel to buy the No. 3 network, Yu, operated by India's Essar Telecoms.

The regulator said on Friday it would approve deal, subject to Safaricom paying a $5.4 million fee and Airtel a $5 million fee for the licence belonging to YU, the Communications Commission of Kenya's Director-General Francis Wangusi told reporters.