Kenya is experiencing internet disruption, impacting not only the country but also neighboring Uganda and Burundi.
This comes in the wake of intense protests against the government’s proposed Kenya Finance Bill 2024, which aims to increase taxes despite widespread economic challenges and corruption.
The disruption follows a violent issue by police on demonstrators protesting against the bill. London-based internet rights group NetBlocks confirmed the interruption, highlighting that the incident coincided with the protests despite prior assurances from Kenyan authorities that internet services would not be disrupted.
Earlier, the Communications Authority of Kenya had issued a statement denying any intention to interfere with internet connectivity. The authority emphasized its focus on upholding the constitution and protecting freedom of expression.
However, users across Kenya have reported slow or interrupted internet access, and the outage has also affected Uganda and Burundi.
NetBlocks’ live network data confirmed the disruption in internet connectivity, pointing out the severe impact on coverage of the protests.
Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, which have been essential for organizing and sharing information about the protests, have experienced intermittent access.
Protestors have been using these platforms to voice their grievances about the high cost of living, increased taxation, and mismanagement of public funds. Despite attempts to engage political leaders online, frustrations have led citizens to the streets, resulting in clashes with law enforcement.
On Tuesday, tensions peaked when protestors stormed the parliament shortly after lawmakers voted to adopt the controversial bill. This confrontation resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries. It was during this time that the internet service began to falter.
Kenya’s largest network operator, Safaricom, has stated that two of its undersea cables experienced outages. However, the exact cause of the widespread internet disruption remains unclear.
The ongoing connectivity issues are expected to hinder the ability to cover and report on the unfolding events accurately.
