Alexander Indeje summarized some insights and great ideas from the active engagement on this list yesterday. You can read more below. Nairobi's infrastructure crisis: A clash between city officials and Kenya Power exposed governance failures, digital disruption, and the urgent need for legal accountability and systemic reform to protect critical infrastructure. https://www.kictanet.or.ke/critical-infrastructure-under-siege-nairobis-gove... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grace Githaiga Twitter: @ggithaiga Skype: gracegithaiga Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracegithaiga ...the most important office in a democracy is the citizen. So, you see, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you!----Barrack Obama. ________________________________ From: ALEXANDER NZIOKA via KICTANet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: 26 February 2025 11:41 PM To: Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga@hotmail.com> Cc: ALEXANDER NZIOKA <anzioka275@gmail.com> Subject: [kictanet] Re: Nairobi Internet Disrupted - How Can This Be Resolved? Dear Listers, This situation raises an important question: if the government itself buys electricity from Kenya Power and distributes it through token bills, shouldn’t there be a more structured way to handle disputes rather than actions that disrupt essential services? While both Nairobi County and Kenya Power have valid claims, cutting fiber optic cables as leverage only harms businesses, schools, and households relying on stable internet access. Instead of escalating the standoff, a structured mediation process or regulatory intervention would be more effective. Moreover, this incident highlights a bigger concern—how secure is our critical infrastructure if disputes can lead to such drastic actions? It’s a wake-up call for stronger governance in managing public utilities and ICT infrastructure. Would love to hear your thoughts on possible solutions. Best regards, Alexander N. Kathanzu On Wed, 26 Feb 2025 at 07:17, David Indeje via KICTANet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> wrote: Dear Listers, A critical situation unfolding in Nairobi that's causing widespread disruption: the ongoing dispute between Nairobi County and Kenya Power. As you may have heard/ read, Nairobi County officials have taken the drastic step of cutting fiber optic cables from Kenya Power's utility poles. This action has resulted in significant internet service disruptions affecting businesses, schools, and homes across the capital. The core of the issue stems from an unpaid electricity bill of approximately $23.1 million (KES 3 billion) owed by Nairobi County to Kenya Power. However, the county government argues that Kenya Power owes them an even larger sum in unpaid land rates, wayleave fees, and parking charges. This counter-claim has escalated tensions and led to a hostile standoff. The Communications Authority (CA) has condemned these actions, emphasising that ICT infrastructure falls under national government jurisdiction. As the CA stated, "Fibre optic networks are a cornerstone of Kenya’s digital economy. Any interference must follow legal and regulatory frameworks." This situation is clearly unsustainable and is severely impacting the digital economy and daily lives of Nairobi residents. We are eager to hear your thoughts on how this dispute can be resolved. -- Kind Regards, David Indeje @KICTANet<https://www.kictanet.or.ke/> Communications _____________________________________ [https://cytonn.sheerhr.com/signature/icon/ico-phone.png]+254 (0) 711 385 945 | +254 (0) 734 024 856 KICTANet portals Connect With Us<https://linktr.ee/Kictanet> ______________________________________ _______________________________________________ KICTANet mailing list -- kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> To unsubscribe send an email to kictanet-leave@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet-leave@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Unsubscribe or change your options at: https://mm3-lists.kictanet.or.ke/mm/lists/kictanet.lists.kictanet.or.ke/ Mailing List Posts Online: https://posts.kictanet.or.ke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KICTANet/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KICTANet/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kictanet/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbcLVjnPtTGBEeYLGUb2Yow/ WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaQsX4w6mYPIctLsGh1K KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. 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