ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has announced that the ministry will take action against parents or guardians who expose children to pornographic content.
Speaking to Radio Citizen, Kabogo emphasized the need to protect children from harmful online material, urging parents to be more vigilant in monitoring their children’s gadget use.
“If you leave your phone with your child to play games, yet it can access explicit content, you’re exposing them to danger. Children are curious, and if a report reaches us that a parent knowingly allowed such exposure, we will take legal action,” he warned.
Kabogo also highlighted plans to amend the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act to address the increasing misuse of digital platforms and the spread of misinformation. He stressed that while freedom of expression remains important, it must not override moral responsibility.
“We’re not gagging anyone; we’re simply calling for decency. I saw online content showing people in coffins—would you want your child seeing that? Social media is becoming a hub for disturbing content,” he noted.
Drawing inspiration from global practices, Kabogo cited Switzerland’s move to introduce special SIM cards for minors that restrict access to certain websites, saying Kenya is exploring similar solutions.
He further condemned the misuse of artificial intelligence to create obscene or defamatory images of public figures, calling it a serious breach of media ethics.
Under Section 37 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018), anyone found publishing or distributing obscene images of another person faces a fine of up to Ksh.200,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
