Editor's Review

"The County Government’s actions have led to severe downtime for customers in mission-critical sectors such as healthcare and finance."

The Technology Service Providers Association of Kenya (TESPOK) has condemned the Nairobi County Government following its decision to cut fiber optic cables along Argwings Kodhek Road in Nairobi.

In a statement on Wednesday, February 26, TESPOK said the move was unlawful, noting that the infrastructure was installed under a contract between Kenya Power and TESPOK members.

The association added that ICT infrastructure is legally protected under Kenyan laws, stating that such actions not only violate the law but also undermine Kenya’s digital agenda.

"ICT infrastructure is legally protected under key Kenyan laws, including the Kenya Information and Communications Act and the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act. The actions of Nairobi County officials clearly violate these laws and fly in the face of stakeholder efforts to achieve Kenya’s digital agenda; such must not be tolerated.  

"This is not an isolated incident but part of a worrying trend where disputes between government bodies are causing unwarranted losses to legitimate business activities and disrupting the lives of Kenyans. Our members are facing huge losses amounting to millions of shillings due to these actions, which have disrupted vital services. It is shocking that this conflict has been allowed to escalate to this extent, with no regard for the far-reaching consequences on Kenyan citizens and the economy," the statement read.

File image of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja

TESPOK reported that its members have suffered financial losses amounting to millions of shillings due to the disruption of vital ICT services. 

The organisation added that the damage also affected mission-critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, businesses, and households reliant on internet connectivity.  

As a result, TESPOK has asked the county government to take responsibility and compensate affected service providers and customers.

"The County Government’s actions have led to severe downtime for customers in mission-critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, and public services, as well as for businesses and households that depend on stable, reliable internet connectivity. 

"We demand that the County Government take full responsibility for these actions and compensate service providers and affected customers for the downtime caused. We also call on the National Police Service to investigate and arrest those responsible for this criminal act," the statement concluded.