The Kenyan government is looking to crack down on the vandalism of telecommunication infrastructure in the country. Proposals are being made that would see criminals who attack power cables and other telecom infrastructure could face a fine of Sh5 million or a jail term of at least 10 years. Parliament is to review the bill in the near future, but it is likely to pass, said analysts in Nairobi. “We have long struggled with the telecom sector and maintaining solid infrastructure, so I think we will see this bill pass as a deterrent to any attacks on the industry, which has become integral to the Kenyan economy,” said John Mwanga, an IT expert in Nairobi. The Energy and Communications Law 2011 also makes changes to section two of the Scrap Metal Act by re-introducing licensing for dealers. The new bill would amend sections of the Kenya Communications Act 1998, making vandalism of electronic or power cables an economic crime. Presently, offenders face fines of up to Sh100,000 or three years in prison. Mobile firms have been complaining that vandalism has not only increased their costs of doing business, but also made the country lose billions of shillings in terms of down time. Consumers have suffered service disruptions as a result of the infrastructure attacks. Under the amendment, road and sewerage contractors who damage cables will face penalties for the first time. Infrastructure providers such as Kenya Data Network, AccessKenya, Orange Kenya and Jamii have levied these additional costs on those who have leased capacity from them, who in turn pass them to the end users. KDN, for example, is currently undertaking a Sh365 million overhaul of its network, which it says has been affected by cable cuts. BM
