It would suffice to say that the modern world would be incapacitated without the internet.
It is arguably among the most widely used technology in the world today, controlling almost every activity ranging from transport services, ordering a meal, social media, and business operations.
Above all these functions of the internet, the most important one would be access to information.
Therefore, shutting down the internet for whatever reason would arguably compromise the passage of vital information.
A report by Article19 Eastern Africa shows internet access is a recognised human right, and one of its major perks is the propagation of every individual’s freedom of expression.
Kenya and Tanzania are among the new additions to the shame list of countries that shut down the internet according to Access Now report published in 2021.
Kenya in 2020 suffered an internet downtime as a result of a jihadist group attack on the country’s communication system. On the other hand, Tanzania has slowly been cutting down people's access to the internet for some time now.
Similarly, Giles and Mwai writing for the BBC reported that Zimbabwe, Togo, and Ethiopia, among other African countries, also instituted internet lockdowns in the previous year.
This is a move against human rights and freedoms or, worse, a degradation of the many years of reform, development, and social justice.
According to a report by the #KeepItOn campaign, there are several reasons that countries shut down the internet.
The most common cause is a misguided attempt by governments to shut down presumably fake information. This is counter-intuitive in the sense that people are left blind with no access to facts.
The restriction of people's civil rights is ubiquitous in many misgoverned states, especially when the government wants to hide its ill agenda. This is a common phenomenon, especially during elections and protests.
Almost needless to say, protests are a form of social action that may sometimes escalate to an unpredicted level. However, the government should still not deter its people from learning the truth about what is happening.
Essentially, protests are mainly due to a poorly performing government, and citizens are only exercising their freedoms of expression. Agreeably this should not be a reason for shutting down the internet.
In its report against internet shutdowns, the Human Rights Watch asserts that governments' malicious actions are a threat to society's survival.
As the global cases of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to soar, people need to be more informed. The world is suffering from perhaps one of the worst pandemic in recent history.
People need to understand how the disease works, how the virus spreads, how to protect themselves and their families. The internet is among the surest ways that people can use to track the world’s progress.
Additionally, the digitisation of government, news, and status reports mean people learn new restrictions and vaccination programs online.
Summarily, it would be hazardous to cut down the quickest means of information transfer at such a crucial time.
In that case, governments in East Africa should ensure that they protect people’s access to the internet at all costs.
The Kenyan government, for one, should ensure it safeguards communication systems from terror attacks by buffing up security.
In a nutshell, we have come a long way as the global community in terms of technology, globalisation, and the advancements of social order.
It would be sad to let a few misguided government policies take us back to the primitive past of ignorance, misinformation, and total dismissal of liberty.
In the words of the late Kofi Annan, knowledge is power, and information is liberating.
With that, the primary way society can rid itself of, not only from the pandemic but also from destructive politics and social vices, is by being in the know. This is possible by protecting people’s access to the internet.
Muthuri Kathure is the senior program officer- Civic Space at Article 19 Eastern Africa
