Today, we’re connected. As of December 2021, the Communications Authority of Kenya reported 65,085,720 mobile SIM subscriptions throughout Kenya.
This has a positive impact on all Kenyans because it makes our day-to-day lives significantly easier. Not just for communication, for business, for healthcare, for insurance, mobile banking and more.
This is made possible by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), part of whose mandate includes ensuring that Kenyans in even the most remote regions of Kenya can enjoy access to quality communications services at reasonable prices.
Part of this is thanks to The Universal Service Fund, an initiative of The Authority that ensures critical communications infrastructure is available in remote areas to give Kenyans the power to connect.
At this important time for Kenya, the Communications Authority’s (CA’s) mandate is more important than ever, as its mandate to connect remote regions of Kenya will be needed when voter and polling stations are being set up in rural areas of the country.
The Authority’s reach doesn’t extend only to rural areas. In both urban and rural centers, CA goes above and beyond in maintaining this standard by educating Kenyans on their rights and consumers and facilitating ways in which to report unfair practices and poor quality services.
As the industry regulator, all telecom and internet operators are answerable to them should reports of unethical or exploitative business practices come to light.
The Communications Authority (CA) educates consumers about their rights through multiple channels, one of which is the popular Kikao Kikuu initiative, which travels throughout the country bringing all of this important knowledge directly to consumers.
This is an important aspect of the mandate because as of December 2021, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) reported 46,355,022 data and internet subscriptions. Going into election season, it’s critically important that all of this connection potential is being used responsibly, and each and every Kenyan is well informed about their rights.
Did you know that fraudsters can send messages to your phone that seem like they come from your telecom provider? This is one of the latest in tactics employed by scammers trying to trick law-abiding Kenyans.
Earlier in 2022, the Communications Authority in its capacity as the regulator for Kenya’s telecommunications industry mandated all telecom providers to re-register SIM cards on their networks.
The Authority took this measure to better protect citizens against grey SIM cards and fraudsters who took advantage of them to trick Kenyans into divulging private information and in some cases unknowingly send funds to fraudsters.
The entire initiative has been extended to October of this year, so if you haven’t registered your SIM card, visit the nearest branch of your telecom provider’s offices and register. This is all part of the Communications Authority’s (CA’s) efforts to protect your right to enjoy quality communication services.
In addition to this, the Communications Authority (CA) also works as a pool of information to assist other agencies and government bodies in their mandates.
An example of this is working to assist the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to identify criminal suspects when crimes are committed.
It’s just one of the ways that the Communications Authority (CA) fulfills their dedication to ensuring that Kenyan consumers can communicate safely and securely.
Learn more about the Communications Authority’s (CA’s) mandate and how they work to uphold your right to free and fair communication at www.ca.go.ke.