Media houses and individuals in Kenya will be facing a fine of one million Kenyan Shillings (about K11 million) for disseminating weather predictions not approved by meteorological authorities.
The country’s senate is set to debate The Meteorology Bill 2023 which seeks to regulate how climate data is collected, analysed and disseminated to the public.
The bill will also create The Kenya Meteorological Service Authority which will be the sole agency responsible for publishing weather forecasts.
News site Kenyans reported that people in the Eastern African country will be facing a fine for disseminating unapproved weather information.
“A person who issues to the public meteorological data collected, or weather information derived from a weather station not registered by the Authority commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh1 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to both,” the Bill states.
Under the proposed law, it would be an offence to distribute meteorological information obtained from the Authority without consent from the body.
The bill also sets a fine not exceeding Ksh5 million or imprisonment to a term not exceeding two years, or both for members of the authority found guilty of causing the authority to disseminate false information.
However, the authority would not be responsible for any damage, loss or injury sustained by any person because of such a person’s reliance on meteorological information provided by the Authority.
