Kenya scores high on Internet freedom, US think tank finds

Kenya is one of just two African countries whose Internet services are classified as free, according to an annual report by the Freedom House think tank.

The finding is contained in the Freedom on the Net 2014 report published last month by the US-based think tank, which assesses online freedom in 65 countries across the world.

Cyber security

Fears about levels of privacy and freedom of expression online have been heightened by the revelations last year of mass surveillance made by whistleblower Edward Snowden, together with increased attacks on cyber security.

The survey classifies countries as ‘free’, ‘partially free’ and ‘not free’ based on a series of Internet controls.

These include whether access is blocked on social media or for political or religious reasons, whether new domestic laws have increased surveillance or censorship, and whether online journalists or government critics have faced arrest or attack.

Kenya scored 28 points on the index, two points behind South Africa, the other African country to receive the top ranking, in a list dominated by countries in the European Union and North America. Iceland and Estonia topped the charts with six and eight points, respectively.

On a similar index by Freedom House measuring press freedom published last year, Kenya was ranked only ‘partially free’.

Iran, Syria and China were the world’s worst abusers of Internet freedom, according to the report, which found that governments in 19 countries had passed new laws either increasing online surveillance or restricting the anonymity of users during the course of 2014.

Elsewhere in the region, online services in Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi were deemed to be ‘partially free’, while Sudan and Ethiopia were ranked among the worst offenders.

Online journalists were arrested in seven out of the 12 sub-Saharan African countries surveyed.

Although the report notes that the Jubilee Government has taken “a watchful eye over the spread of hate speech on the Internet”, it contends that there is no evidence to suggest authorities have blocked or filtered content online.

Tap communications

However, recently suspended security legislation seeks to allow the State to tap communications without court consent.

The Freedom House report also notes that both Vodafone and Google’s Transparency Report had reported the Kenyan government as having filed requests for the account and communication data of users.

It was also critical of two laws passed by Parliament in December 2013, the Information and Communications Amendment Act and Media Act, which it argues “were seen as posing a threat to press freedom and freedom of expression, both online and offline.”

In particular, Freedom House describes the provision for a Communication and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal that would have the power to revoke journalists’ press credentials and impose fines on media outlets and reporters, as “particularly problematic”.

Both bills were halted by the High Court in January last year and have yet to come into force due to questions over whether they were consistent with the Constitution.

Kenya has been cited by management consultants McKinsey as one of the two countries in Africa with the highest level of Internet Gross Domestic Product (IGDP). The proportion of Kenyans with regular access to the Internet reaching 52 per cent in December 2013, up from 41 per cent the previous year, according to Government statistics.

With very low rates of subscription to fixed-line broadband networks, a majority of Kenyans use their smart-phones to access the web.

The mobile sector accounts for around 99 per cent of Internet access across the country.

To further boost access, the Government set up the Universal Service Fund in 2013 in a bid to raise Sh1 billion from industry players to expand mobile and Internet services to poorer Kenyans, particularly in rural areas.

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