Residents of Mandera County have accused Safaricom PLC of disconnecting and switching off all customers’ network services in the region with no prior explanations for hours on end.
The residents have taken to social media to raise their concerns claiming Safaricom is switching off the services deliberately and in doing so breaking Contractual Obligations with customers. the residents say the move puts their lives at risks as they depend on the telco for day to day life basics.
It’s fundamentally important that @SafaricomPLC understands that it has no authority to disconnect its customers & the communication Authority will be failing in its duty if it does not take appropriate action. Your customers are traumatized coz they can’t reach their relatives . https://t.co/K7wjj5lK8l
— Abdiwahid Biriq (@ABiriq) March 4, 2020
Dear Safaricom PLC could you please be in a position to explain to us what sort of interest you have in Safaricom network of Mandera county (especially Mandera East and Mandera North) that it's not stable? pic.twitter.com/ujEWy3xDYo
— Abu Maqfira (@Issaenow) March 4, 2020
@SafaricomPLC You switched off network in Mandera anytime there is planned attack on people. You did that on Tuesday when Jubaland forces started fighting SNA from Mandera and again last night when Jubaland reinforcement was arriving in Mandera. Shame on @Safaricom_Care
— Ismail (@Ismailiban) March 4, 2020
Dear @SafaricomPLC no network in mandera since yesterday are you guys aware of this @Asmali77 @OmarMMaalim
— Ahmed Sheikh (@ajirde47) March 4, 2020
@Safaricom @OmarMMaalim No Safaricom network in Mandera town since yesterday some mothers had to deliver at home as they couldn’t call the Ambulance, very unfortunate @Safaricom_Care @SafaricomPLC @ntvkenya @NTVnewsroom @citizentvkenya
— Juniour (@juneibra) March 4, 2020
Users reported that this is the second day there has been Safaricom downtime in the county. The first service shutdown was on 2nd march where intelligence services said Somalia National Army (SNA) jammed the Safaricom communication masts.
Strategic Intelligence assets reported that On 2nd March 2020 between 1130HRS and 1145HRS, there was an exchange of gunfire between Jubbaland Security Forces (JSF) and Somalia National Army (SNA) in Bulla Hawo town which lies exactly along the Kenya-Somalia border.
“Between 1145HRS & 1230HRS, a suspected-state actor remotely jammed, from inside Somalia, the Safaricom Base Transmission Station mast (BTS) in Mandera along the border rendering communication in the area temporarily impossible.”
Safaricom is yet to respond to today’s allegations.