Netblocks, an international group that tracks internet activity, says Telegram has been restricted in Kenya, as protests erupted on Wednesday, June 25, across several areas of the country.
“Confirmed: Live metrics show restrictions to the messaging platform Telegram in Kenya are now in effect,” Netblocks said.
In their observation, Netblocks noted the restriction of Telegram, which is highly popular in the country, across major Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The latest comes amidst fears of a wider internet shutdown in the country, which would result in widespread communication disruption, particularly through the digital realm.
This is not the first time Telegram has been restricted in Kenya. In November last year, restrictions were witnessed, seemingly being prompted by the commencement of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
Users across the country reported receiving several error messages while trying to interact with the app, including a "Connecting" error when trying to access the Telegram desktop.
The observation came just moments after the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) issued a directive to all TV and radio stations to stop the live coverage of the June 25 protests.
CA later acted upon its directive, storming the NTV and KTN transmission stations, deactivating the free-to-air signal, and taking them off air.
In separate statements, both news houses confirmed that this was a result of them continuing to broadcast the live coverage of the protests despite an order from the Authority.
Currently, protests in the Central Business District in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisii and other major towns across the country have taken root, with police engaged in running battles with protesters.
The protests, held in honour of Gen Zs who lost their lives in last year’s anti-Finance Bill demos, have led to injuries on both the protesters' and police's sides, with emerging reports indicating loss of lives on the side of the protesters.