The Ministry of Interior has announced measures to curb the misuse of social media platforms, which have become a growing concern in the country.
In a statement released on Thursday, January 16, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo disclosed that he had met with representatives from social media platforms and telecommunications companies to address rising cases of misinformation, hate speech, and cyberbullying.
Mandatory Local Presence for Social Media Firms
One of the key resolutions from the meeting was a directive requiring all social media platforms operating in Kenya to establish physical offices within the country.
“To ensure responsibility and accountability in the face of rising disinformation, social media manipulation, and online abuse, all social media organizations operating in Kenya must establish a physical presence within our jurisdiction,” the statement read.
The move is aimed at enhancing compliance with Kenyan laws and providing a framework for addressing criminal activities online.
PS Omollo emphasized the need for stricter action from both telecommunications providers and platform owners to combat online harassment, hate speech, and incitement to violence. He described some of the recent activities as criminal, necessitating decisive action.
“Strict compliance with this requirement is expected, with telecommunications providers and platform owners required to take stronger action against criminal activities online,” he stated.
Government Concern Over Social Media Misuse
The government’s intervention follows recent remarks by President William Ruto, who expressed concern over the misuse of social media. The President lamented the rise of cyberbullying and specific incidents involving the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create defamatory images of leaders, including doctored images showing leaders in coffins.
President Ruto called for a balance between freedom of expression and the need to curb online abuse, noting that social media should not become a tool for spreading hate or misinformation.
The Ministry of Interior’s latest move signals a stronger stance by the government to ensure social media platforms and telecommunications providers align with the country’s laws and take accountability for their role in combating online abuse.
