Kenya's Safaricom airs worry over fake mobile monitoring plan

NAIROBI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Kenya's biggest telecoms operator, Safaricom, voiced "strong reservations" on Friday over the regulator's plan to monitor mobile phones on networks to detect counterfeits.

The Communications Authority of Kenya wants to install equipment in the networks of the country's three mobile operators, to improve its monitoring of counterfeit mobiles, in line with its consumer protection mandate.

Poorly made counterfeit phones, imported mainly from Asia, are prevalent in many African nations and regulators say they are widely used by criminals because they are difficult to track.

Safaricom, which is 40 percent owned by Britain's Vodafone , is concerned the monitoring devices will give the regulator access to other customer data including calls, messages and financial transactions.

"We have registered our strong reservations about this and especially the need to have this system subjected to the relevant public debate as it touches on confidential communications belonging to our customers," Stephen Chege, Safaricom's corporate affairs director, told Reuters.

The regulator has switched off counterfeit mobiles in the past, but it says consumers are still exposed to such devices, hence the need for a better monitoring system. (Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Clement Uwiringiyimana and Alexander Smith)