Telegram has been restricted in Kenya after the commencement of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

NetBlocks confirmed that Kenyans experienced a disruption on Monday, November 3, as Telegram Messenger was reportedly blocked.

The global internet observatory that tracks network disruptions and censorship said the platform has been restricted to prevent exam malpractice.

“Confirmed: Metrics show that messaging app Telegram has been restricted in #Kenya as KCSE school exams are held, following an established pattern of internet censorship measures intended to limit cheating on exam days,” NetBlocks said.

The data shows that Kenyans using Safaricom cannot access Telegram completely.

NetBlocks said Telegram accessibility on the Safaricom network is at 0%.

However, Airtel users can access Telegram’s partially web interface and website, achieving a reachability of between 42% and 45%.

This, therefore, means that some Airtel users can still connect, but the service is unstable or intermittently disrupted.

Also Read: Safaricom Announces 8-Hour Internet Downtime

How Kenyans Can Access the App

Telegrams users in Kenya were not warned about the disruption.

Users cannot access the app as it is failing to load or refresh messages despite having strong mobile data connectivity.

However, it is reported that Telegram seems to have been restricted for users on Safaricom mobile data, since it remains accessible via WiFi connections or through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Also Read: Global Internet Disruption Shuts Down Major Apps

KNEC Flags Telegram Use for Malpractice

The restrictions follow an alarm from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).

KNEC has raised an alarm over the increasing use of Telegram channels to leak examination papers during the ongoing tests.

The Commission’s August 2025 monitoring report showed that 18 active Telegram channels were flagged for sharing alleged KCSE and Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB) papers out of a total of 51 identified platforms.

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