Nairobi is starting a crackdown on illegal fiber optic lines, which may compel homes and businesses to find alternate internet.
On Tuesday, February 25, Nairobi County began tearing down fiber optic cables that were affixed to electricity poles along important thoroughfares.
The county claims that the cables are being dismantled as Governor Johnson Sakaja pressures the county to generate more cash from its own sources in the face of a growing conflict with Kenya Power, the nation’s power distributor.
A few of these fiber lines are prohibited. The impacted service providers have had plenty of time to pay for their hosting on these poles, but they have declined. At the beginning of the operation, Nairobi County Revenue Chief Officer Tiras Njoroge declared, “They have not requested county approval or paid for wayleaves.”
Internet service providers should make sure that any fiber optic installations on county road reserves have the required permits and that wayleave costs are paid in full, according to the revenue officer.
In a world where the majority of services, if not all of them, rely on the internet, this crackdown is probably going to have an impact on households and businesses in the capital.
The Nairobi City County Finance Act, 2023, specifies that the construction of power lines and fibre optic cables on road reserves be subject to wayleave costs. These taxes apply to enterprises such as utility companies and internet service providers that employ public land for their infrastructure.
For example, the application fee for a wayleave covering minor lengths is Ksh5,200 for stretches between 1 and 2 kilometers. The application price rises to Ksh 6,500 if the distance is a little bit greater, from 2 to 5 kilometers.
In situations where the distance exceeds 5 kilometers, the cost stays at Ksh6,500 per kilometer.
The use of certain land features, including carriageways, walkways, and verges, is subject to annual costs in addition to application fees.
A highway requires Ksh200 per meter of maintenance each year, whereas footpaths cost Ksh150 per meter.
Verges are also categorized according to how close they are to the plot boundary; verges within 1.5 meters are charged Ksh60 per meter, while verges farther away are charged Ksh150 per meter.
A government organization has already attempted to seize the internet wires.
