In a bold and unified stand, a group of prominent influencers has publicly canceled Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecommunications provider.
This movement comes after Safaricom’s internet outage last night following the reject finance Bill protests which saw numerous protestors storm parliament.
The outage has been widely perceived as an attempt to suppress communication and stifle disapproval of the bill.
The influencers, including Dennis Ombachi, Muchiri Mike, Magunga, Adelle Onyango, and Waceera Kieha, are leveraging their substantial platforms to voice their outrage, arguing that Safaricom’s actions directly facilitated government efforts to silence its citizens.
Popular social media influencer Magunga didn’t mince his words on his statement to boycott the telecom giant saying, “I cannot, in good conscience, continue to associate myself with a brand that has turned its back on the very people it should protect,” and “…our lives, our sovereignty are greater than your paychecks. You crossed the line. Switching off internet so that the government can massacre people in Githurai was a point of no return.”
These influencers are not just calling out Safaricom for its actions but are also urging their followers to reconsider their support for the company. Their collective stance is a powerful reminder of the influence and responsibility that comes with their platforms.
The hashtags and campaigns calling for a boycott of Safaricom are gaining momentum, reflecting a growing dissatisfaction with the telecom giant’s perceived betrayal.
In response, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa addressed the outage and the Finance Bill controversy.
He apologised for the network disruption, attributing it to reduced bandwidth on international cables, affecting multiple telecom providers.
“I want to start by sincerely apologising for the network outage that started on June 25, 2024. This outage was occasioned by reduced bandwidth on some cables that carry internet traffic.”
This unprecedented cancellation by influencers marks a significant moment in the intersection of social media, activism, and corporate behavior, setting a precedent for how brands are held accountable in the digital age.
