Kenyan authorities have arrested a man running an illegal streaming operation that gave subscribers access to premium TV channels without proper licensing.
Kelvin Kiplang’at Singoéi was picked up in Kiplombe, Uasin Gishu County, after investigators traced a piracy network selling unauthorized access to sports and entertainment content.
The operation was a collaboration between the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and other enforcement agencies.
When they raided Singoéi’s premises, they found two mobile phones, 135 printed marketing flyers, and what investigators called a WAKA TV pirate control panel. Using that panel, officers immediately disconnected 64 active subscribers who had been streaming through the illegal service.
The suspect had been marketing these services across social media and online platforms, attracting customers with lower prices than legitimate pay-TV subscriptions. Users signed up and made payments through unverified digital channels, often without realizing what they were getting into.
The biggest risk, though, is that KECOBO pointed out that subscribers were handing over personal information and making digital payments to anonymous operators with zero security guarantees.
This opened them up to data breaches, identity theft, and financial fraud. Some of the streaming links and modified applications used in these services can also carry malware.
George Nyakweba, acting Executive Director at KECOBO, said the illegal distribution cuts into earnings for creators, broadcasters, and the larger media sector.
It also means lost tax revenue for the government since these operations dodge regulation entirely. Legitimate businesses that pay their taxes and licensing fees end up competing against services that operate outside the system.
Singoéi appeared in the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Eldoret on October 7, and was released on cash bail of KES 300,000 with a surety of the same amount. His case is set for pre-trial mention on October 13, as investigators continue gathering evidence and witness statements.
MultiChoice, one of the broadcasters whose content was being pirated, acknowledged the enforcement effort. The company has been working with KECOBO and other authorities to track down similar piracy operations.
