The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has urged parents and guardians to monitor the content that their children consume online, especially during the ongoing long holidays.
The ICT regulator is concerned that children with access to online content are being exposed to rising incidents of cyber threats.
CA Board Chair, Ngene Gituku cautioned parents that providing internet enabled smart phones and other gadgets to children without the requisite guidance and controls could turn to be detrimental.
The CA’s national cyber-security centre observed a sharp increase in the number of cyber-threats and incidents in the country, rising from 11.3million in the quarter ending in March 30 this year to 26.6 million between April 1 to June 30 this year.
“It is not enough to purchase smart devices and provide WIFI and leave children on their own without providing the required guidance and controls,” said Gituku.
Gituku called on parents to utilise the online and physical Children Online Protection materials available at the Authority to guarantee the safety of children online.
The chair spoke during a consumer outreach event at the University of Embu organized jointly by CA and the County Government of Embu, CA.
Acting CA Director General Mercy Wanjau said Embu residents enjoy good 2G and 3G mobile connectivity, with a respective population coverage of 99.8 percent and 88.2 percent.
She said if well harnessed, ICTs could contribute to increased food productivity in Embu and thus contribute to the government’s Big 4 Agenda on food security.
“Cooperatives and indeed individual farmers in Embu County can use Information and Communications Technologies to receive useful information including weather patterns, pest control, farming techniques, and regular market access information for their produce.
ICTs can also help farmers keep simple records like the type of soil in their farms, litres of milk sold, crop or animal diseases and quantity of produce harvested, among others, “she added.
Wanjau added that the Authority had connected 14 public secondary schools in Embu with high-speed Internet through the Universal Service Fund.
“Just a week ago, we launched the voice infrastructure project through which we have connected 68 sub-locations to mobile communications services across the country. This initiative has seen about 290,000 people who until recently only dreamt of making a call through the mobile phone, enjoy basic voice and data services,” said the acting Director General.
Embu Governor Martin Wambora said ICT services have provided opportunities to locals to acquire knowledge and improve their lives.
“We are proud that that the availability of ICT services is enriching the lives of our people. We see various sectors of the local economy, including agriculture, Small and Medium Enterprises, and health heavily relying on ICTs for growth,” added Mr. Wambora.
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He urged CA to facilitate basic connectivity to all un-served and underserved areas in Embu to ensure residents enjoy the transformative power of ICT.
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