Silverio Omari
Officials from the Communications Authority (CA) were tasked with explaining why Kenyans continue to pay for unused data bundles that expire within a short period, raising concerns over whether internet service providers (ISPs) are held accountable for exploiting consumers.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s ICT Committee, the CA was asked to outline the measures in place to protect consumers from data bundle expirations and service disruptions.
Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya criticized the short-term data packages offered by ISPs, calling them unrealistic and exploitative. “Why are we paying for bundles that expire before we even use them? If bundles operated like other utilities, consumers wouldn’t lose money,” Donya argued. “It’s unreasonable to expect anyone to consume 20GB of data in just an hour after purchase,” she added.
Committee chair John Kiarie (Dagoretti MP) also expressed concerns, questioning why the Authority hasn’t implemented policies that prevent data bundle expirations. “If radio stations can address quality of service issues, why can’t ISPs do the same for internet service? Other countries have adopted no-expiry policies, and we should have similar protections in place,” Kiarie remarked.
In response, CA Director-General David Mugonyi acknowledged that regulations already exist and that penalties have been imposed on providers in the past. However, he highlighted gaps in the current law regarding mandatory consumer compensation.
Mugonyi also announced that the CA would launch a public sensitization campaign to educate citizens on how to lodge complaints.
The lawmakers directed the CA to implement stronger oversight mechanisms to protect consumers from exploitation by service providers.
Dj Vnyash
