Since yesterday, a good number of users in Kenya have been reporting intermittent loss of access to the popular messaging app, Telegram. The issue seems to be getting more widespread on the second day running, affecting a significant number of users across the country.
In response to the ongoing issue, many users have turned to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to maintain their access to Telegram. VPNs are tools that create a secure tunnel for your internet connection, hiding your real IP address and replacing it with one from a different location. This allows users to bypass geo-restrictions and access content that may be blocked in their current location.
The use of VPNs is perfectly legal in Kenya.
Telegram is finally down for me pic.twitter.com/rsYYoUBIT3
— Ndiritu (@ndiritu_michael) November 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/omwambaKE/status/1722491863364440546?s=20
I think Telegram is down.
— Tony Muchiri (@TonyMuchiri4) November 8, 2023
https://twitter.com/kiruti/status/1722484379253948731?s=20
Local Providers Blocking Servers?
There are speculations that local providers may be blocking the servers, causing the intermittent loss of Telegram. While there is no concrete evidence to support this claim yet, it is a possibility given the current circumstances. Local Telco, Airtel Kenya has acknowledged the problem saying, “We apologize for the inconvenience, we are working to resolve the telegram issue as soon as possible and we will inform you once a permanent fix has been done, kindly bear with us as we do so. Thank you for your patience.”
If this is the case, it would not be the first time that a messaging app has been blocked by local providers. In the past, similar incidents have occurred in various parts of the world, often due to political or regulatory reasons. Another reason this could be happening is due to the ongoing national examinations, Telegram has been a notorious medium which Kenyans have in the past used to share leaked examination material.
Without any official communication, however, we can only speculate. Is your Telegram working fine for you? let us know in the comments below!
This is a developing story, keep it, Techspace Africa, for more details…
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