A Nairobi-based firm has raised concerns over a prolonged internet outage affecting its office WiFi, shining a light on growing frustrations around service reliability and customer support among internet users in Kenya.
The issue was shared publicly by Mwelekeo Insights, whose office near Nairobi’s CBD reportedly lost Airtel Kenya internet connectivity over the weekend.
According to the firm, repeated follow-ups to Airtel customer support brought the same response each time that the issue had been escalated to the technical team.
For a business that relies heavily on internet access for communication, research, and day-to-day operations, the delay raised serious concerns. Mwelekeo Insights questioned why it would take several days to get a resolution or even clearer updates, saying such waits can disrupt normal work and affect productivity.
The firm also raised the issue of whether customers should receive refunds or billing adjustments when a service remains unavailable for days.
The incident has also reopened a wider discussion around internet reliability, particularly for businesses operating in busy commercial areas such as Nairobi’s CBD.
For many firms, internet is now as essential as electricity, supporting emails, online meetings, research, payments, and communication with clients. A prolonged outage can slow operations significantly and, in some cases, bring work to a standstill.
Mwelekeo Insights also pointed to the pressure such disruptions place on small and medium-sized businesses that may not have backup connections. For these firms, depending on a single provider can become risky when outages drag on.
While technical faults can happen for many reasons, including damaged cables, power issues, heavy rain or network congestion, the concern raised was less about the fault itself and more about communication during downtime.
Customers often want regular updates, timelines, or temporary alternatives when restoration takes time.
The case has also raised questions about compensation when services fail for extended periods. Though service agreements often include terms around uptime, many customers rarely pursue credits or refunds even when disruptions affect business directly.
Cases like the one raised by Mwelekeo Insights are likely to keep putting pressure on providers to improve response times, transparency and support. For many businesses, reliable connectivity is no longer optional, and long service interruptions are becoming harder to absorb.
