Nairobi Internet Disrupted – How Can This Be Resolved?
The initial Kenya Power project was to lease excess fiber capacity from the system that monitors their power infrastructure. I do believe that Nairobi County tampered with the last mile connectivity to Kenya Power fiber customers.
The customers include banks (for ATMs etc.) and other tier one client organizations that cannot afford to lose connectivity and that is why they have a redundancy of one provider with underground cables and another with overhead cables
Regards,
Alex
________________________________
From: Anne Gathirwa via KICTANet <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 10:31 AM
To: Alex Watila <[email protected]>
Cc: Anne Gathirwa <[email protected]>
Subject: [kictanet] Re: Nairobi Internet Disrupted – How Can This Be Resolved?
Does Kenya Power own the fiber optic cables? What benefit does the County Government gain by cutting the cables? there are various legal channels that can be utilized inorder to solve their grievances rather than resorting to property damage and inconveniencing innocent citizens.
On Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 7:18 AM David Indeje via KICTANet <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Dear Listers,
A critical situation unfolding in Nairobi that’s causing widespread disruption: the ongoing dispute between Nairobi County and Kenya Power.
As you may have heard/ read, Nairobi County officials have taken the drastic step of cutting fiber optic cables from Kenya Power’s utility poles. This action has resulted in significant internet service disruptions affecting businesses, schools, and homes across the capital.
The core of the issue stems from an unpaid electricity bill of approximately $23.1 million (KES 3 billion) owed by Nairobi County to Kenya Power. However, the county government argues that Kenya Power owes them an even larger sum in unpaid land rates, wayleave fees, and parking charges. This counter-claim has escalated tensions and led to a hostile standoff.
The Communications Authority (CA) has condemned these actions, emphasising that ICT infrastructure falls under national government jurisdiction. As the CA stated, “Fibre optic networks are a cornerstone of Kenya’s digital economy. Any interference must follow legal and regulatory frameworks.”
This situation is clearly unsustainable and is severely impacting the digital economy and daily lives of Nairobi residents.
We are eager to hear your thoughts on how this dispute can be resolved.