Kenya: Internet Disruptions and Anti-Government Protests - Internet Sans Frontières

Internet Without Borders is concerned about the Internet disruptions in Kenya, where bandwidth access was severely disrupted on June 25, 2024, amidst protests against the 2024 Finance Bill. This was noted and reported by Internet Without Borders’ partners in Kenya, including Internews Kenya, KICTANet and the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE). Information from internet shutdown tracking organization Netblocks show a sharp drop in the volume of data entering and leaving the country’s Internet network starting at around 4.00 pm local time on June 25.

Access to information and the internet during political protests, is an important element of a country’s democratic health.

We regret that the Kenyan authorities have chosen not to respect international law on freedom of expression, a fundamental right protected by article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. While telecommunications operators such as Airtel Kenya and Safaricom claim that the disruptions are due to a undersea cables cut, Kenyan citizens express doubts on the reliability of this informatio. Tests in the country by Internet Sans Frontières’ partners suggest difficulties connecting to Twitter, and low bandwidth quality.

The current Internet disruptions come after assurances from the Communications Authority that the Internet would not be cut off.

In its response dated June 24, 2024 concerning an imminent internet shutdown, the authority stated that it had “no intention of interrupting internet traffic or interfering with the quality of connectivity. Such actions would constitute a betrayal of the Constitution as a whole, of freedom of expression in particular, and of our own ethics.”

The Government of Kenya joins the list of African governments censoring the Internet at important political moments. In a statement issued two hours before the blackout, Internet Without Borders and its partners reminded “Kenya’s role as a champion of freedom of expression in Africa, and that recent actions by the government to stifle the right to free assembly and the right to free expression, threaten to undermine that reputation.”

Internet Without Borders calls on the Kenyan government to respect its international commitments to freedom of expression and association, by restoring full access to the Internet.