Shock over Kenyan regulator saga

Johannesburg, 30 Mar 2005

Delegates at the recent NewCom Africa Conference, held in London, reacted strongly to the Kenyan government`s shock decision to dissolve its communications regulator.

The removal of the country`s top telecommunications regulatory leadership by the Kenyan government in early March shocked the international ICT sector and prompted the discussion of the issue at the conference, held under the auspices of the Global V-Sat Forum.

Delegates representing a range of telecommunications stakeholder interests called on the Kenyan government to respect the autonomy of the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) and to set a timetable for resolving the status of its director-general.

Fearing that the disbanding of the CCK might also represent a shift away from competition, the group also asked the Kenyan government to reiterate its commitment to the new competition framework.

"Whatever the rights and wrongs of the specific circumstances, it remains a principle of paramount importance that regulatory authorities are separate and autonomous from the operations of government," said the statement prepared by the delegates.

"In addition, it is imperative that the established momentum towards regulatory reform and expanded competition is maintained.

"Therefore, the conference called upon the government of Kenya to appoint a new board and resolve the status of the DG to a publicly stated timetable and, in order to maintain the confidence of investors both internationally and locally, to issue a statement reiterating its commitment to the reform process."

Although Kenya`s minister of information and communication, Raphael Tuju, has been summoned before a parliamentary committee, no clarity on the disbanding of the CCK has been forthcoming.

This has prompted the Ghana Internet Service Providers` Association to claim that the recent action by Tuju is not only a breach of due process but also sabotages the Kenyan economy, as well as the African economy as a whole.