Kenya’s leading telecom operator Safaricom has blocked access to Telegram on its network, as part of a pattern seen during the KCSE exams, which run through late November and determine university admissions nationwide. The Communications Authority (CA) ordered the restriction to curb exam cheating spread via the platform. This echoes similar moves in 2023 and 2024, disrupting millions of users and prompting widespread VPN use. 

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) says invigilators have smuggled phones and materials into exam rooms, prompting the CA to halt Telegram services across Safaricom, Airtel, and Jamii Telecommunications during exam periods. Technical analyses by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) show IP-level blocking, TLS interferences, DNS tampering, and other disruptions affecting telegram.org, web.telegram.org, and app endpoints. Telegram recovery varied, with Web access returning only in late 2024 on Safaricom.

source: kenyainsights

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