Kenya comes down hard on cable theft Created: 11/12/2010 5:13:36 PMThe Kenyan government recently announced its plans to impose harsher penalties for theft of fiber-optic cable. Currently, the penalty for stealing cable is three years of prison and a 100,000 shilling fine.
However, Bitange Ndemo, Kenya’s information and communications secretary, says the new bill will increase the punishment to life imprisonment and a 10 million shilling fine. According to the Daily Nation, Ndemo said the increased costs of repair and security for cables have an effect on the rates charge to customers.
“What is happening is not vandalism. These are people who want to disable the system,” he said.
Ndemo also said the government will consider suspending licences for operators proved to be involved with cable sabotage. “There have been arrests of former employees as well as employees of other companies and that is where the security forces are beginning to investigate. This is someone who knows what precisely needs to be cut,” Ndemo said.
Cable theft is an issue across the world. Recently, police in Albany, Georgia made several arrests relating to a copper wire theft ring.
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