Anybody on the know to kindly tell me what do I stand to gain as a common mwananchi from the mobile number portability which is to be introduced on April First.

thank God for three sim cells.........

If the 0733xxx is ported then I guess it will no longer be airtel. so not ksh 1/-
Grey areas indeed....
How has portability fared in other markets?

Those are network lock-in tactics. I expect that network portability will deter such practices

what about if i had unutilised airtime? what will happen to it and which n/work will bill me on the unutilised funds?

What do you mean lock-in tactics? @Gekko's question highlights the complexities of number portability. Just how is someone billed when calling a number from the same network which has apparently been ported to another network? On-net rates or off-net rates?

YOU LOSE IT

1-that we shall loose all the services/products that we are enjoying with our current service provide
2-that we can only port once in 6p0 days
3- that we have a 14 day period after porting in which u can channge your mind and go back
4-that the charge is about 200/ every time you port and the service provider you are porting to could pay on your behalf
5-you cannot port if you have debts including eg okoa jahazi with your current provider
6-if you roam you can only port 90 days after you are back so you can pay all your debts
7-that u will get a new sim card for your new provider ie a sim replacement for your number will be done by your new provider
8- you might not be able to tell when u are calling offnet to someone who has already ported

etc etc

@grolut, then that means, to answer Gekko's query, he will be charged sh3 for calling a ported 0733XX number from his Airtel number. Am I wrong?

3 things may likely make it an exercise in futility, with regards to the Kenyan market.
1. The fact that people have not been told their airtime will be lost when the number has been ported.
2. The fact that subcribers will not know when they are calling a ported number thus affecting their billing. Or even when they know, they will not call, 'Shucks, its not on airtel. That's 3 bob.'
3. Mpesa is big. Who wants to send money to a Safaricom number that has been ported to Airtel and pay the high charges of sending a number to an 'unregistered number'...

You know Kenyans, "Tunaomba serikal aiingilie kati..." I could be wrong though.

Exactly.