Lady Whistledown
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- Aug 2, 2021
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Mashirika Saba Yafungua Kesi Mahakamani Kupinga Kukatizwa kwa Intaneti Nchini Kenya
Katika hatua kubwa ya kulinda haki za kidijitali na uhuru wa kikatiba, Shirika la CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa) kwa kushirikiana na mashirika sita mengine, wamewasilisha kesi ya kihistoria ya maslahi ya umma katika Mahakama Kuu ya Kenya kupinga vitendo vya kiholela na visivyo halali vya kukatiza huduma ya intaneti nchini humo.
Mashirika yaliyopeleka kesi hiyo mahakamani ni pamoja na Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), Katiba Institute, Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ), Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Paradigm Initiative (PIN), International Commission of Jurists – Kenya Section (ICJ Kenya) pamoja na CIPESA. Wameeleza kuwa kukatizwa kwa intaneti kumekuwa kikiathiri nyakati muhimu za kitaifa kama vile maandamano ya #RejectFinanceBill mwaka 2024 na mitihani ya kitaifa ya KCSE mwaka huo huo.
Baada ya kesi hiyo kufunguliwa, Jaji Bahati Mwamuye wa Mahakama Kuu alitoa amri ya muda inayozuia mamlaka yoyote kuingilia huduma ya intaneti hadi kesi hiyo itakaposikilizwa na kuamuliwa.
Walengwa wakuu wa kesi hiyo ni Mamlaka ya Mawasiliano Kenya (CA), Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali, Waziri wa Habari, Mawasiliano na Uchumi wa Kidijitali, pamoja na watoa huduma wa intaneti Safaricom na Airtel Kenya.
Kesi hiyo inajikita kwenye ushahidi wa kiteknolojia kutoka mashirika ya kimataifa kama Cloudflare, Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) na Internet Outage Detection and Analysis (IODA), ambayo yamedhihirisha kuwepo kwa vitendo vya makusudi vya kupunguza kasi ya intaneti na kufunga baadhi ya majukwaa kama vile Telegram.
Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa ICJ Kenya, Eric Mukoya, alisema:
“Kukatwa kwa intaneti kwa njia isiyo halali ni uvunjaji wa moja kwa moja wa haki zilizomo kwenye Katiba ya Kenya, zikiwemo uhuru wa kujieleza (Ibara ya 33), uhuru wa vyombo vya habari (Ibara ya 34), haki ya kupata taarifa (Ibara ya 35), na haki za kijamii na kiuchumi (Ibara ya 43).”
Akizungumza kwa niaba ya CIPESA, Afisa Sera na Utetezi Patricia Ainembabazi, alieleza:
“Hii ni fursa ya kihistoria kwa Kenya kuheshimu utawala wa sheria na kutekeleza Azimio la Tume ya Afrika kuhusu Haki za Binadamu na Watu namba 580, linalokemea vikali kuzimwa kwa intaneti. Tukizingatia maamuzi chanya ya hivi karibuni ya Mahakama ya ECOWAS dhidi ya Guinea, Togo na Nigeria, tunatarajia Afrika Mashariki kufanya vyema zaidi.”
Kesi hii inachukuliwa kama hatua muhimu katika kulinda anga ya kidijitali ya kiraia nchini Kenya. Wapeleka kesi wamesisitiza kuwa kizuizi chochote dhidi ya intaneti lazima kipitie mchakato wa kisheria mkali kulingana na Ibara ya 24 ya Katiba, inayotaka vizuizi vyovyote kuwa halali, vya lazima na vya kiasi.
Mwenyekiti wa BAKE, Kennedy Kachwanya, alisema:
“Matokeo ya kesi hii yatakuwa na athari kubwa kwa mamilioni ya Wakenya wanaotegemea intaneti kwa ajili ya riziki, elimu, na ushiriki wa kiraia. Tunatoa wito kwa mashirika ya kiraia, vyombo vya habari na jumuiya ya kimataifa kuunga mkono juhudi hizi za msingi katika kulinda haki za kidijitali kama nguzo ya demokrasia ya Kenya.”
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In a significant step toward safeguarding digital rights and constitutional freedoms, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and six other organisations have filed a landmark public interest case before the High Court of Kenya to challenge the arbitrary and unlawful disruptions of internet access in the country.
The petitioners – Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), Katiba Institute, Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ), Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Paradigm Initiative (PIN), the International Commission of Jurists – Kenya Section (ICJ Kenya), and CIPESA, seek judicial redress following recurring internet disruptions during critical national moments, including the 2024 #RejectFinanceBill protests and the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
Following the filing of the case, High Court Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued interim orders prohibiting any interference with internet access until the case is heard and determined. The legal challenge targets the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the Attorney General, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, and service providers Safaricom and Airtel Kenya.
The petition relies on technical evidence from Cloudflare, the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), and the Internet Outage Detection and Analysis (IODA), which confirms instances of intentional internet throttling and platform blocking, such as the disruption of Telegram.
“These unlawful internet shutdowns directly violate rights enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution, including freedom of expression (Article 33), media freedom (Article 34), access to information (Article 35), and economic and social rights (Article 43),” said Eric Mukoya, Executive Director of ICJ Kenya.
Speaking on behalf of CIPESA, Patricia Ainembabazi, Policy and Advocacy Officer, stated:
“This is a trend-setting moment for Kenya as a country to uphold the rule of law and adhere to theAfrican Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Resolution 580, which speaks directly to freedoms of expression and deters internet shutdowns. With the recent positive ECOWAS Court judgments in Guinea, Togo and Nigeria, we hope that East Africa will do better.”
The case marks a pivotal moment in the defence of the digital civic space in Kenya. The petitioners argue that any restriction to internet access must be subject to strict legal scrutiny under Article 24 of the Constitution, which requires any limitation to be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.
“The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for millions of Kenyans who rely on unimpeded connectivity for livelihoods, education, and civic engagement,” said Kennedy Kachwanya, Chairperson of BAKE. “We call upon civil society, media partners, and the international community to amplify this crucial fight for digital rights as a cornerstone of Kenya’s democratic future.”
This collective legal action is part of a growing continental movement to resist digital repression and promote rights-respecting governance in Africa’s digital age.
Signed,
1. Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE)2. Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)
3. Katiba Institute
4. Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ)
5. Law Society of Kenya (LSK)
6. Paradigm Initiative (PIN)
7. The International Commission of Jurists, Kenya Section (ICJ Kenya)
Resources:
Petition by ICJ Kenya, BAKE & others against CA, AG & others on Internet Shutdowns in Kenya is here.Internet Shutdown Case Court Orders, Download PDF here.
