The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has instructed telecommunications companies—Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom, and Jamii Telecommunications—to block access to Telegram during specific hours of the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams amid concerns of widespread cheating.

The restriction, which is in effect from November 1 to November 22, occurs daily from 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The measure, according to CA, is aimed at protecting the integrity of the national tests.

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CA wrote a letter to the CEOs of the telecom companies, expressing concerns that Telegram was being used illegally.

In the letter dated October 31, CA said that the Authority was under pressure from various organisations to take decisive action against platforms promoting malpractices and rubbishing the integrity of the KCSE tests.

“It has come to the attention of the Authority that the Telegram platform is being misused to perpetrate criminal activities, including compromising on the integrity of the ongoing national examinations,” said CA Director-General David Mugonyi.

“As a result, various government agencies have reached out to the Authority seeking assistance in taking down social media channels and forums, including Telegram, that are interfering with the integrity of our national examinations,” he added.

Telegram’s unresponsiveness led to the suspension 

DG Mugonyi said that while other social media platforms had responded proactively to prevent leaks, Telegram failed to acknowledge and address the Authority’s concerns which ultimately led to the app’s suspension.

“Whereas all other social media platforms operating in Kenya have taken steps to address misuse of their platforms, we note with dismay that Telegram Inc. has remained non-responsive and continues to host offending forums and channels in blatant breach of the laws of the land and the general principles of Data Protection and Privacy,” he noted.

CA directed all mobile network providers to implement the suspension during KCSE examination hours to allay malpractices worries.

“By this letter, all mobile network operators are hereby directed to use all available mechanisms to suspend the operation of Telegram Inc. in the country, particularly during the administration of the KCSE examinations from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday up until November 22nd, 2024,” the authority stated.

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Telegram users bypass restrictions with VPN 

Telegram users in Kenya resorted to virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass the restriction after the majority of Kenyans encountered difficulties in accessing the app on Friday.

Parents, students, and educators have lost lots of shillings as a result of fraudulent schemes with scammers promising them early access to KCSE questions and answers ahead of the scheduled exam in exchange for a minimum of Sh2,500 and can go as high as Sh18,000.

Due to Telegram’s end-to-end encryption and security features, which shield the identities of the people who create bogus accounts, the app has become the go-to platform to carry out fraudulent activities.

The Act 29 of 2012 of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) criminalises unauthorised access to exam materials.