In a letter dated October 1, 2026, CA Director General David Mugonyi told Safaricom, Airtel Networks Kenya, Telkom Kenya and Jamii Telecommunications that the exemption applies to test runs scheduled for October 2 and for the duration of the El Nino preparedness and response period. The letter follows an earlier communication on September 22 in which the Authority asked the operators to report on their state of readiness.
The Authority said the directive is anchored in Articles 35(3), 33 and 46 of the Constitution, which cover the State's duty to publicise information affecting the nation, the freedom to receive information, and consumers' right to information needed to protect their safety. It also cites the Access to Information Act, 2016. It further points to Condition 6 of the operators' licence terms, which requires them to help provide information to the public during emergencies and to follow the Authority's instructions. Condition 6.2 adds that where an emergency relates to national security, operators must coordinate with the competent entity the Authority names.
Under the directive, operators must transmit all approved emergency preparedness and public safety messages sent by the government through designated platforms, including Short Code 1590. The messages must reach all active subscribers regardless of their promotional messaging preferences, Do-Not-Disturb settings or earlier opt-outs and operators must not apply opt-out mechanisms to them.
Operators must also give emergency communications priority on their networks to ensure timely delivery, and provide any technical support needed for the simulation exercises and for actual emergency response operations.
The Authority said the directive is issued in the public interest and to safeguard life, property and national security through timely dissemination of critical information. It described compliance as mandatory with immediate effect and told operators to submit the status of preparedness it requested in its earlier letter.
