We've safeguards against online child abuse, says Kabogo

ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo answers questions in the Senate, Nairobi, on May 13, 2026.  [Elvis Ogina, Standard] 

Kenya has adequate legal, regulatory and administrative safeguards to protect children from harm online, Information, Communications and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has said.

Kabogo told the Senate the safeguards are in subsidiary regulations, industry guidelines, ethical codes and the regulatory interventions of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, the Media Council of Kenya, Kenya Film Classification Board and the State Department for Children Services.

Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana had sought to know from the CS the legal, regulatory and administrative safeguards currently in place to protect children from cyberbullying, online exploitation, harmful content, gambling exposure and abusive data harvesting practices on digital platforms.

“These domestic instruments are aligned to international treaties to which Kenya is a state party and to the guidance of the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child,” said Kabogo.

Hamida also asked Kabogo if there are plans to strengthen protection of children online, drawing from approaches in the UK, Australia and EU.

“The ministry through the Communications Authority of Kenya intends to undertake compliance to the industry guidelines for child online protection and safety in Kenya and leverage the findings from the ongoing National Survey on child protection and safety in Kenya to inform the development of regulatory interventions geared towards protecting children,” said Kabogo.

Kabogo said the Child Helpline 116, operated by Childline Kenya, provides a 24-hour reporting and support line with all complaints and cases handled by the Communication Authority in collaboration with law enforcement officers seconded to the National KE-CIRT/CC, which operates a digital forensics capability that supports investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes.