Telegram services disrupted by ISPs

Kenya is experiencing widespread internet disruptions in the ongoing June 25 protests, as authorities try to suppress communication during what has been described as the largest protest in the nation’s history. 

According to several social media platform X reports, network monitoring groups and digital rights organizations have identified targeted interference by Kenyan internet service providers on Telegram.

Today is exactly a year since Kenyans held anti-government rallies against the Finance Bill 2024.

Telegram services disrupted by ISPs

Per real-time data collected by NetBlocks and Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), multiple Kenyan ISPs restricted access to Telegram’s mobile app, website, and related services. 

A network measurement conducted at 11:50 AM UTC on Safaricom Limited (AS33771) showed Telegram’s mobile and web access was capped due to a generic timeout error. The media platforms claim both the app and web interface (web.telegram.org) have been deliberately blocked.

NetBlocks reported restrictions across service providers, including Safaricom, Faiba (JTL), and Liquid Telecom. Telegram’s web interface and link shortener functions were down as low as 0% on Faiba and Liquid Telecom. 

⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show restrictions to messaging platform Telegram in #Kenya are now in effect; the measure comes as authorities issue a ban on live media coverage of the June 25 anniversary protests, amid rising concerns over the risk of a wider internet shutdown 📵 pic.twitter.com/bQQpcx32qk

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) June 25, 2025

On Safaricom, some Telegram components showed limited reachability between 10% and 14%, which could be a sign of throttling rather than a full shutdown.

Confirmed! Live metrics from Tatua indicate restrictions on Telegram in Kenya. This comes after the Communications Authority’s directive to local media houses to cease live broadcasting of the ongoing nationwide protests.📵#KeepItOn pic.twitter.com/qgtz3mNWoW

— Tatua Center (@TatuaDigital) June 25, 2025

The OONI Probe test run on the same day at 3:04 PM local time confirmed that Telegram was the only app among those tested, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Signal, that failed accessibility checks on the Safaricom Limited network. The probe, which tested four apps in total, identified Telegram as the only platform being censored.

Media blackout ordered as protests escalate

At the same time, Kenya’s Communications Authority (CA) issued a directive to all television and radio broadcasters to cease live coverage of the protests immediately. 

A formal letter from the CA accused media outlets of violating Articles 33(2) and 34(1) of the Constitution and Section 461 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act by airing live footage of the protests. 

Legal experts and civil society organizations have condemned the order. Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo called the directive “an absolute nullity in law” and an “affront to fundamental rights.” 

The directive by the @CA_Kenya is an absolute nullity in law and an affront to fundamental rights espoused in and guaranteed by the Constitution. Our statutory institutions are established to facilitate the full realisation of our constitutional ethos, not to be conduits of… pic.twitter.com/LkmGlya2Dl

— Faith Odhiambo (@FaithOdhiambo8) June 25, 2025

The government has not issued an official statement admitting to being part of, or apologising for, any internet disruptions or media blackout.

Court order bars internet shutdowns

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) also issued a statement reminding telcos, including Safaricom, Airtel Kenya, and Telkom Kenya, that a court order issued earlier this year prohibits any form of internet shutdown during public demonstrations. 

Justice Bahati Mwamuye had granted the order in May in response to a petition by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and other rights groups following the 2024 internet blackout during nationwide protests.

KHRC warned that any attempt by telecom companies to throttle, shut down, or downgrade internet services to 2G would be in direct violation of the court ruling and could attract legal consequences. 

Last year’s protests saw major cities paralyzed, with multiple reports of human rights violations by law enforcement.

This year, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets demanding justice for victims of alleged extrajudicial killings. Protesters gathered in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri, and other major urban centers. Despite the Communications Authority’s directive, media houses still air footage from citizen journalists and livestreams online.

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