Kenya warned on risk of shutting down the Internet

An Internet shutdown during the elections could see the Kenyan government face tough consequences if the body that manages Internet addresses in Africa adopts a new proposal.

The suggestion put forward by some members of the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) would deny IP addresses to African governments that shut down the Internet.

IP addresses are unique identifiers used by devices such as computers or mobile phones when they access the Internet. Without IP addresses African governments would be effectively blocked from Internet access.

“While the authors of this policy acknowledge that what is proposed in draconian in nature, we feel that the time has come for action to be taken,” the proposal says.

Repeat offenders would face further punishment.

If a government shuts down the Internet at least three times in a decade, access to IP address would be revoked for five years.

The proposal, if adopted, would be an unprecedented move in which the tech industry steps in to police government behaviour.

It comes within the context of rising government interference with the Internet in Africa and across the world.

While Kenya is yet to be significantly touched by any government-initiated shutdown, there are jitters about the measures that the state might put in place during the August general election.

Information communication minister Joe Mucheru has previously said that the government does not plan an internet shutdown.

However, the state has also said that it will monitor social media activity, presumably to guard against inflammatory hate speech.

“We hope we will not get there, unless it gets out of hand. We do not see an Internet shutdown happening,” Communications Authority chairman Ben Gituku said in a January press conference.