The National Assembly’s ICT Committee chaired by MP John Kiarie has questioned the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) on measures to protect consumers from data bundle expiries and internet service disruptions by ISPs like Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom.
Committee Members criticized the lack of compensation for unused bundles and the absence of a clear system for addressing consumer complaints.
“Why do we pay for bundles that expire before we use them?” asked MP Doris Donya. “If bundles worked like other utilities, consumers wouldn’t be losing their money,” she added.
MP Wandeto went further, calling short-term data packages “a fraud,” adding that it was unrealistic for anyone to consume 20GB of data bundles within an hour of purchase.
The committee’s chair echoed this sentiment, pointing out, “If radio stations can air quality of service issues, why aren’t ISPs doing the same for internet service? Other countries have implemented no-expiry policies, and we need similar protections here.”
However, the CA Director-General David Mugonyi, responded by noting that while they have penalized providers in the past, there’s a gap in the current law regarding mandatory compensation for consumers.
Mugonyi elaborated that the CA has initiated a campaign to educate the public on how to lodge complaints.
The Committee directed the authority to establish stronger oversight mechanisms to ensure ISPs prioritize customer service and provide fair compensation during service outages.
