, David Mugonyi, told telecom operators that the country can no longer afford to "operate with this level of confusion."){kind=link}
Kenya’s communications regulator has launched a major push to create a national database of fiber optic cables, warning that a lack of coordination is leading to the “unnecessary duplication” of infrastructure and a waste of public funds.
Speaking at a workshop at Nairobi’s Utalii Hotel on Tuesday, the Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), David Mugonyi, told telecom operators that the country can no longer afford to “operate with this level of confusion.”
While Kenya has invested heavily in broadband, boasting a network that spans all 47 counties and includes multiple submarine cables, the terrestrial map remains a patchwork of inconsistent data.
Consequently, public initiatives like the Digital Superhighway have occasionally funded new cables along routes where fiber already exists, simply because there was no reliable central record to check.
The regulator is now proposing the adoption of the Open Fiber Data Standard (OFDS), an international benchmark designed to harmonise how infrastructure is reported.
This move is supported by World Bank funding through the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project.
Mr Mugonyi highlighted the physical and financial risks of the current system, noting that construction crews frequently damage cables they did not know were there.
“Investment decisions have at times advanced without knowledge of existing infrastructure,” he said, “resulting in the unnecessary duplication of routes, inefficient allocation of capital, preventable damage during construction, and the inability to accurately identify underserved areas.”
Despite the push for transparency, the CA chief was quick to reassure private operators that the database would not be a “free-for-all” for sensitive corporate data.
In a competitive market where network maps are often guarded as trade secrets, the regulator has promised a “thoughtful” rollout.
“It is not a platform for the indiscriminate disclosure of sensitive information or a pathway to compromising commercial interests,” Mr Mugonyi pointed out.
To address these concerns, the Communications Authority has outlined a phased approach that begins with a limited set of non-sensitive data fields.
By starting with basic information, the regulator aims to build the foundation of the national map without immediately requiring the disclosure of highly strategic assets.
Furthermore, access to the database will be strictly controlled on a “need-to-know” basis to ensure that information is only available to relevant stakeholders.
In an effort to foster collaboration, the CA intends to include industry representatives directly in the governance of the system.
This inclusion is designed to give telecom operators a voice in how their data is managed and used.
To further bolster confidence, the regulator has committed to appointing independent cybersecurity auditors from the outset, ensuring that the platform remains secure and that commercial interests are protected against unauthorized access.
The workshop marks the beginning of a consultation period rather than a final policy directive.
The CA is calling on the private sector to help define the technical parameters and the governance model to ensure the system is “founded on trust.”
Ultimately, the regulator argues that a shared map will benefit everyone by lowering deployment costs and improving the resilience of the national network.
As Mr Mugonyi concluded: “We need each other – government, industry, and development partners. This is good for all of us.”