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The Kenyan government intentionally restricted internet access during widespread protests against Prime Minister William Ruto’s proposed finance bill last week, investigations have found.
As Kenyans protested the $2.7bn in tax hikes, Ruto’s government shut off the internet in an attempt to quash unrest, limit anti-government posts on social media, and disrupt communication between protestors.
The shutdown is Kenya’s first recorded internet restriction according to Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker, which has tracked cases of government-imposed internet and social media restrictions since 2015.
The internet disruption, which also impacted the neighbouring countries of Uganda and Burundi, saw Kenya become the 12th African country to restrict internet access.
At least 23 people were killed as Kenyan police officers fired at protestors in a violent crackdown.
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By GlobalData
Protests escalated last Tuesday (25 June) when demonstrators stormed the parliament building in Nairobi and set it alight after MPs passed the finance bill, albeit without some of the most controversial measures.
Kenyan Prime Minister William Ruto has since backtracked on tax hikes for basic items and an eco levy, while higher import fees and a tax on specialised hospitals remain untouched.
The turmoil has also raised questions over the choice for Kenyan forces to lead a UN mission to tackle gangs in Haiti.
Only Asia has higher rates of internet restriction than Africa
The Kenyan government’s tactics are part of a wider trend of internet network suppression during political unrest.
“Since 2015, 77 countries have disrupted internet access during protests or elections. Kenya now joins this list as the 78th country”, says Lina Survila, spokesperson at Surfshark.
“Overall, Africa has experienced 119 disruptions since 2015, ranking second globally,” Survila tells Verdict adding: “While Asia leads with 620 disruptions, with India and its administered Jammu and Kashmir accounting for more than 72% of internet censorship cases in the region”.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly shut off or limited internet access to quell dissent, never more than during India’s elections between April and June – the largest political election process in human history. Despite Modi’s tactics, his BJP party failed to secure an outright victory and instead was forced to form a coalition.
In Africa, Sudan leads the way with 13 recorded cases of internet restriction, followed by Ethiopia (12) and Senegal (8), the most recent of which came during the sub-Saharan nation’s controversially postponed elections in February.
Such tactics “silence citizens, limit freedom of speech and restrict access to information”, according to Survila.
“Governments increasingly shut down the Internet connection to control public opinion and suppress dissent”, Survila concludes. “When internet access is cut off during emergencies, people lose their ability to stay connected with family and friends or to seek help from others. This isolation leaves them more vulnerable and makes dealing with the crisis even harder.”
While internet access seems to have been restored across Kenya, tech companies and human rights groups are monitoring the situation closely.
Despite Ruto largely backtracking on his finance bill, protestors continue to call for his resignation amid what some describe as a polycrisis of issues extending beyond heavy taxation.
With the potential for more protests in the near-future, all eyes will be fixed on the Kenyan government and police’s response.
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