Kenyan blogger Kennedy Kachwanya has successfully challenged the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICT Authority) over what he claimed was an unwarranted social media blocking.
The saga began on August 30 last year, when Kachwanya exercised his right to free speech by criticizing the ICT Authority’s post about public WiFi safety. His critique, apparently too pointed for the authority’s comfort, resulted in his immediate blocking on X (formerly Twitter).
Refusing to be silenced, Kachwanya took decisive action. Joined by the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), he fired off a demand letter that was part legal challenge, part passionate defense of free expression. “Blocking dissenting views sets a dangerous precedent for censorship,” he argued, challenging public institutions to develop a “thicker skin” when it comes to receiving criticism.
In the letter, Kachwanya demanded the ICT Authority to unblock him within 24 hours, publicly apologize, and guarantee such actions would not be repeated. Shortly after, the ICT Authority responded in an affidavit sworn by Pauline Kimotho Njeru, the Head of Legal.
The authority maintained that their X account is not an official medium for formal communication, citing their website, email, postal address, and mobile contact as the official sources. The letter also states that the ICT Authority “values and appreciates feedback” while asserting that blocking Kachwanya did not infringe on his rights to information.
They also confirmed that Kachwanya’s X account has been unblocked, giving him “full access to vieew, comment, and interact” with posts on ICT Authority’s account.
