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News DeskTechnologySafaricom Credit Cuts Trust in Kenyan Government, Study Finds
Verified Curriculum CorpusPublished: Today
Technology·CEFR B2·Upper Intermediate

Safaricom Role in Govt Service Boosts Use but Hurts Trust

Article Level ·●B2·Upper Intermediate
3 min read·177 words·Audio: 1:15
AI-generated illustration (not a photograph) of the setting of this story: Safaricom Role in Govt Service Boosts Use but Hurts Trust
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Studio Narration
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01:15

Lesson Overview & Key Takeaways

  • Story Summary: Researchers at the MIT Governance Lab and behavioral science organization Busara surveyed more than 11,000 people in and around Nairobi to examine how crediting private companies in government digital services affects public confidence. The results revealed a counterintuitive trade-off: naming a trusted company boosted willingness to use a portal yet damaged long-term trust in the government that deployed it.
  • CEFR Target: Level B2 (Upper Intermediate) — calibrated for clear sentence structure and targeted reading fluency.
  • Core Vocabulary: portal, willing, findings, carry over, weaken.
  • Skills Practised: Reading comprehension, dual-accent listening, and contextual grammar.
Reading PassageRead-along: word by word (UK)
100%
Researchers at MIT and the group Busara studied how people feel about digital services run by governments with private companies. They surveyed more than 11,000 people in and around Nairobi. Some were told that the county government and Safaricom both built a service Others were told only the government built it. A third group heard that only Safaricom built it.
People who heard that Safaricom alone was said they were more to use the But they trusted the government less afterward than those who heard the government alone was The suggest that naming a company may push people to try a service while public faith in government skills.
The team expected that trust in Safaricom would carry over to the government when both names appeared. The data did not support this for most people. Only those who already trusted both groups showed a rise in government trust. The drop came mainly from people who trusted the company but not the government. The study appeared in the journal Government Information Quarterly.

Study this lesson

Activities for CEFR B2, all based on the story above.

1. Grammar focus

One structure from the story, explained, with sentences taken from the text.

Relative clauses

noun + who / which / where / whose + more information

Relative clauses (who, which, whose, where) add information to a noun. Defining clauses identify it; non-defining clauses, set off by commas, add extra detail.

From the story
  • But they trusted the government less afterward than those who heard the government alone was responsible.
  • People who heard that Safaricom alone was responsible said they were more willing to use the portal.
  • The drop came mainly from people who trusted the company but not the government.

Notice: Find the noun that each clause describes.

2. Vocabulary

Useful words and phrases from the story, with meanings and examples.

Words from the story

6 Target Terms
portal/ˈpɔː.təl/
noun · B2

a website or online system that gives access to a particular set of services or information

“The university launched a new portal where students can check their grades and register for courses.”

Often with: online portal, service portal, login portal

willing/ˈwɪl.ɪŋ/
adjective · B2

ready or happy to do something if asked; showing readiness

“Many young people are willing to work long hours in order to gain experience in their chosen field.”

Often with: willing to try, willing to accept, more willing

findings/ˈfaɪn.dɪŋz/
noun · B2

the results or conclusions of a research study or investigation

“The findings of the health survey showed that people in urban areas sleep fewer hours than those in rural areas.”

Often with: report the findings, initial findings, published findings

carry over/ˈkæ.r.i ˈəʊ.və/
idiom · B2

to transfer or move from one place, situation, or context to another

“Positive habits learned at school often carry over into adult life, helping people stay organised.”

Often with: carry over to, carry over from, carry over into

weaken/ˈwiː.kən/
verb · B2

to make something less strong, firm, or effective; to become less strong

“Repeated failures can weaken a team's confidence, even if the players are highly skilled.”

Often with: weaken trust, weaken the economy, weaken resolve

responsible/rɪˈspɒn.sə.bl̩/
adjective · B2

having the duty or job of doing something; being the cause of something

“The manager responsible for the project must present a progress report every month.”

Often with: directly responsible, responsible for, solely responsible

3. Check your understanding

Questions about the story. Answer first; each question explains the answer.

Reading Comprehension

Fact Verification
Passage

Researchers at MIT and the group Busara studied how people feel about digital services run by governments with private companies. They surveyed more than 11,000 people in and around Nairobi. Some were told that the county government and Safaricom both built a service portal. Others were told only the government built it. A third group heard that only Safaricom built it. People who heard that Safaricom alone was responsible said they were more willing to use the portal. But they trusted the government less afterward than those who heard the government alone was responsible. The findings suggest that naming a company may push people to try a service while weakening public faith in government skills. The team expected that trust in Safaricom would carry over to the government when both names appeared. The data did not support this for most people. Only those who already trusted both groups showed a rise in government trust. The drop came mainly from people who trusted the company but not the government. The study appeared in the journal Government Information Quarterly.

1. What can be inferred about the effect of naming Safaricom as the sole builder of the portal?
2. Why did the researchers expect trust in Safaricom to carry over to the government?
3. Which group was primarily responsible for the drop in government trust?

Short-Answer Comprehension

Precision Recall

Answer the prompt in a concise phrase or sentence. Your answer will be checked against stored accepted answers, and you can compare your wording with the authentic editorial model response.

4. Practice

Activities with instant feedback. Try each one before you look at the answer key.

Contextual Syntax Drill

Grammar & Tenses

Fill in each blank with the grammatically correct passive or active form of the verb indicated in parentheses.

1. More than 11,000 peoplein and around Nairobi by researchers at MIT and the group Busara.(past simple passive)
2. The team reported that trust in Safaricomover to the government when both names appeared, but the data did not support this expectation.(past simple)
3. The drop in government trust was mainly causedpeople who trusted the company but not the government, according to the findings.(preposition after 'caused')
4. The findings suggest that naming a companypublic faith in government skills even though it pushes people to try a service.(present simple (reporting a general result))
5. People who were told Safaricom alonethe portal said they were more willing to use it.(adjective + preposition)

Lexical Matching Drill

Vocabulary in Context

Select the matching definition for each target news term extracted from the report.

portal
willing
findings
carry over
weaken
responsible

Sentence Order & Cohesion

Discourse Flow

Arrange the scrambled clauses into the chronological, logical order of the news event. Use the arrows to reorder.

1.Some were told that the county government and Safaricom both built a service portal.
2.A third group heard that only Safaricom built it.
3.They surveyed more than 11,000 people in and around Nairobi.
4.Others were told only the government built it.

Answer key and explanations

Try the activities first: you learn more by checking your own answers. Then compare.

Frequently Asked Questions About This Lesson

What English proficiency level is this news lesson?

This lesson is calibrated to CEFR B2 (Upper Intermediate). It features 177 words adapted from verified journalism, offering an accessible yet authentic challenge for learners.

Does this lesson provide audio pronunciation?

Yes, this lesson includes studio narration in both British (UK) and American (US) accents with real-time word highlighting to improve your listening and pronunciation.

How can I practice with this article?

Read the article at your own pace, listen to the aligned narration, explore highlighted vocabulary definitions in the text margins, and test your understanding with the interactive exercises below the story.