We have no plans of switching off internet, Communication Authority says

Communication Authority CEO David Mugonyi before the National Assembly Petition Committee on April 16, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The Communication Authority of Kenya says it has no intention of switching off the internet or interfering with the quality of connectivity.

In a statement on Monday night, the authority's CEO said it had received inquiries regarding internet shutdown.

"Such actions would be a betrayal to the Constitution as a whole, the freedom of expression in particular and our own ethos," said the authority's CEO David Mugonyi.

Further, Mugonyi said internet shutdown would affect the digital economy which supports the livelihoods of many Kenyans.

The Authority has since urged Kenyans to use the digital space with respect.

This comes hours after human rights defenders expressed concern over potential internet and mass media disruptions during protests.

They had noted that shutting down the internet would pose gross violation to fundamental rights.