The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), in collaboration with enforcement authorities, has arrested a suspect following an investigation into a online piracy network distributing copyrighted television content.
Kelvin Kiplagat Singóei was apprehended in Kiplombe, Uasin Gishu County, for unlawfully reselling premium television channels, including popular sports and entertainment networks. The unauthorized streaming services were brazenly marketed across various online and social media platforms, offering Pay-TV content without the necessary licenses.
MultiChoice, which holds licenses for much of the pirated content, were happy with the arrest.
Following his arrest, the suspect appeared before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Eldoret on October 7, 2025. Singóei was released on a cash bail of Ksh. 300,000, with a surety of the same amount. The case is scheduled for pre-trial mention today, October 13, 2025, as investigations continue to consolidate evidence and witness statements against the piracy ring.
Illegal streaming and digital piracy is experiencing a major resurgence, driven by recent shifts in the legal streaming/pay-TV industry. This illegal consumption is dominated by unauthorized streaming services and illicit IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) which accounts for over 80% of all online piracy.
One reason for the rise in illegal streams is that legal sources of content i.e streaming services or pay-TV have raised prices year on year which has made the cost of accessing their content high. Illegal streaming offers a cheap solution, providing a vast library of content that undercuts the value proposition of legal platforms.