The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy is taking a firm stance on digital child safety, with Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo announcing tough measures targeting parents and guardians who expose children to pornographic material online.

Speaking during an interview with Radio Citizen, CS Kabogo emphasized that parents must play a proactive role in shielding children from harmful online content. “If a report gets to us that you gave your child an opportunity to watch pornography, we will charge you because you are spoiling your child,” he warned.

Kabogo decried the growing misuse of the internet and the Cybercrimes Act, noting that Kenya will adopt best practices from other countries to bolster digital protections for minors. Citing Switzerland as an example, he mentioned innovations such as child-specific SIM cards that restrict access to inappropriate sites.

“If you leave your phone with your child to play games, but your phone has access to all those sites… what are we doing to our children? Children are curious,” Kabogo posed.

The Ministry is currently working on proposed amendments to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act aimed at addressing misinformation, online abuse, and immoral digital behavior. While reiterating the government’s respect for media freedoms, Kabogo stressed the need for moral responsibility online.

He also condemned the use of AI-generated images to ridicule political figures, calling it a breach of ethical and legal boundaries. “We are not gagging you but we are saying behave morally,” he said.

Section 37 of the current Act criminalizes the publication or dissemination of obscene or intimate images without consent, prescribing penalties of up to Ksh.200,000 or a two-year prison sentence.

As digital access continues to grow among children and youth, the Ministry’s move signals a renewed commitment to creating a safer online environment and holding adults accountable for their role in that responsibility.