This follows a recent decision by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) on speed dials, which has also continued to lock out millions from internet access. The local regulator has targeted a feature within web browsers called speed dials, on which advertising is now banned. BCLB however banned speed dials on one browser: Opera Mini, while allowing Chrome, Safari, and others to continue to operate speed dials. “It’s been widely observed on social media that millions of Kenyans are struggling without the monthly 1.5GB from Opera’s Free Data campaigns. The penetration rate for feature phones and smartphones stood at 62.9 per cent and 66.4 per cent, respectively, meaning feature phones still serve a huge number of Kenyans, who have since been pushed out of internet access.
