WASHINGTON — Amid widespread protests in Kenya this summer over a controversial finance bill, the country’s Communications Authority announced it did not intend to shut down internet access. The next day, however, Kenya experienced a countrywide loss in internet connectivity.
The main internet service providers said the outage on June 25 was caused by an issue with undersea cables. But the incident caught the attention of digital rights groups, who said the timing of the outage “strongly suggests” an intentional action. Various governments have used such shutdowns to maintain control, these groups say.
Many governments justify the shutdowns as moves to promote public order and safety, Nompilo Simanje, Africa advocacy and partnerships lead at the International Press Institute, told VOA.
“The key reasons really are to restrict communication, restrict free expression, restrict online mobilization, restrict online freedom of assembly and association, and also restrict access to information,” she said.
Access ‘could be about life and death’
Digital watchdogs have documented several cases across the African continent in recent months where access to the internet or social media was blocked or cut off at crucial moments. It isn’t always clear if the cases are the result of a direct order, but the timing often suggests it is, analysts say.
Within the past year, digital rights group Access Now has documented shutdowns in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mauritius and Equatorial Guinea. Nearly all take place alongside events such as protests or elections.
But these shutdowns can be harmful to the country’s residents, Felicia Anthonio, campaign manager at Access Now, told VOA.
“It not only disrupts the flow of information, it also makes it impossible for people to access information in a timely manner,” Anthonio said. “When we are talking about crisis situations, information can be like a lifeline, and so, disrupting access could be about life and death in conflict situations.”
Governments that restrict internet access in one instance are likely to do so again, Anthonio said.
Before the June incident in Kenya, access to the messaging app Telegram was blocked in November 2023 during national examinations. At the time, the move was presented as a way to prevent cheating during exams.
Access to Telegram was stifled again last month during national examinations, which lasted over three weeks and extended into the week after examinations finished, according to James Wamathai, advocacy director for the Bloggers Association of Kenya.
“It was really a huge inconvenience,” Wamathai, who lives in the capital, Nairobi, told VOA.
Local media reported that Kenya’s Communications Authority had ordered the block to prevent cheating.
Many people were unable to contact friends or relatives who lived in countries that had banned WhatsApp.
Kenyans do not have a lot of experience with internet shutdowns, Wamathai told VOA, and many residents do not know how to install workarounds like virtual private networks or VPNs. The current government under President William Ruto is the first to enact such restrictions, he said.
Kenya is a part of the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of 42 countries that advocate for online freedom around the world. Anthonio said it is “depressing and sad” to see a member of the coalition engage in such practices.
The Kenyan Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Anthonio said democratic and repressive regimes alike have enforced restrictions similar to those experienced in Kenya.
“It’s really hard to tell what the motivation is, aside from the fact that the government just wants to exert control to show that they are in authority and can restrict people’s rights when they please,” Anthonio said.
Mauritius for example, planned to impose an internet shutdown for 10 days ahead of its November election.
Authorities said the block was an effort to control illegal publications that may “threaten national security and public safety,” Anthonio said. She added that this rationale is just “jargon” that governments use to justify shutdowns.
The shutdown in Mauritius came as a direct order from the government. After protests from media and opposition parties, the ban was lifted after 24 hours.
The ban was troubling to rights groups. Simanje of IPI said Mauritius “has generally had a very good track record of internet access, online safety and promotion of digital rights.”
Periodic outages
Other African countries have experienced shutdowns on several occasions.
In Tanzania, Access Now has documented several internet and social media outages or blocks. Access to the social media platform X was blocked in late August, around the same time that online activists began a campaign highlighting murders, kidnappings and disappearances within the country. This suggested the block was an official order, Access Now reported at the time.
Tanzania’s embassy in Washington refutes that claim.
“We would like to assure you that this information is false,” a spokesperson told VOA via email.
In July and August, the island of Annobon in Equatorial Guinea experienced a total internet shutdown, leaving its residents “completely cut off from the world,” according to Access Now. This came as a response to protests against the deterioration of the country’s environment due to mining activities, Anthonio said.
Similarly in late October, Mozambique experienced internet connectivity problems after national election results were announced. These shutdowns took place in the middle of violent protests against the reelection of the party in power, which left at least 11 people dead, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
The Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and Mauritius embassies in Washington did not respond to VOA’s requests for comment.
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