With Kenya's telecommunications sector booming and catching the eye of international companies and organizations, everyone wants a piece of the action. Now, Helios Investment Partners, the private equity fund that owns one-fourth of Equity Bank, is looking to increase its Kenyan presence by entering the telecom sector. According to local reports it is seeking to boost its investment in telecom and outdoor advertising sectors. This comes on the heels of last week's announcement that Helios had raised nearly $1 billion from investors in order to go after new investments. According to one Helios official over the weekend, “this is the biggest step for any Africa private equity fund and we are really looking forward to the possibilities.” The official told Bikya Masr/IT News Africa that the money will go toward increasing investments “in those key sectors that are really growing now and we expect to make our presence known in Kenya and Africa.” The money comes from endowment funds, foundations, corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and development finance institutions in the United States, Asia, Africa and Europe. In an emailed statement to members of the media, Helios said they are “looking to grow our footprint in Kenya through our investments in Continental Outdoor and Helios Towers Africa.” Helios already owns 8.5 percent of Kenya's Flamingo Holdings. In late 2007, Helios completed their deal with Equity Bank, giving them an initial footprint in the country. BM
