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{
    "id": 1498464,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498464/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 58,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitutu Masaba, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Clive Gisairo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order 44(2)(c), I request for a statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation regarding the policy applied by Safaricom PLC on transmission of political messages. In recent months, numerous users of various Premium Rate Service Providers (PRSP) and customers whose applications for sender IDs are white-listed as pre-approved entities have been experiencing blocking of transmission of political messages. This raises significant concerns about transparency and fairness of the criteria used by Safaricom PLC to determine messages deemed to be acceptable and those which are not. Political messaging is a vital aspect of our democratic process, allowing candidates to communicate on their platforms and engage with voters. By blocking certain political messages, Safaricom PLC may inadvertently favour specific political entities over others, which could cause an imbalance in the political landscape. The lack of clear guidelines and communication from Safaricom regarding this policy undermines democratic engagement and the free flow of information. It is against this background that I request for a statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation on the following: 1. A report on whether the policy by Safaricom PLC, if any, regarding the transmission of political messages, aligns with the constitutional provisions and laws safeguarding freedom of speech and communication and consumer rights of access to information; 2. Steps taken by Safaricom PLC to ensure that the process for blocking sender IDs, particularly in the political context, is impartial and free from bias; 3. The policy framework and administrative mechanisms for affected parties to seek redress or appeal, including seeking refund for the White-Listed Sender IDs; 4. The criteria for approving or blocking the transmission of political bulk messages and the safeguards put in place by Safaricom PLC to prevent the message-blocking system from being exploited for political gain or to suppress certain view-points; and, 5. A report on whether Safaricom PLC allows inter-network termination of messages to other networks, particularly Airtel, and if not, the interventions required for Safaricom to allow inter-network termination and facilitate a common sender ID for messages sent through the two service providers, particularly by businesses and organisations so as to enhance their brand recognition and improve the overall user experience. I thank you, Hon. Speaker."
}