Kenya said on Thursday it was facing a barrage of cyber-attacks that it said were spreading false information about the government, signalling frustration with persistent bad publicity on social media.
And it said it would require social media platforms to set up physical offices on Kenyan soil as part of measures to curb what it called "growing abuse" of the online platforms by users in the country.
Two separate but related government statements emerged on Thursday afternoon, each promising to correct the wrong perceptions allegedly created by online critics.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs issued a "general communication" to the diplomatic community expressing concern "about recent cyber activities spreading misinformation and disinformation aimed at undermining the credibility of the government".
These activities, it said, had "evolved" from the authentic Gen-Z protests over the controversial Finance Bill to delegitimising government programmes, discouraging high-level visits, de-campaigning Kenya's candidates for international positions and intimidating international partners.
The Ministry did not elaborate, but the statement followed a series of criticisms of an upcoming state visit by the Dutch royal family.
The Dutch government confirmed on Tuesday that it had received some 300 emails from Kenyans calling for the trip to be cancelled in protest at the continued kidnappings in Kenya.
Some netizens have also criticised the candidacy of Raila Odinga, who is seeking to become the next chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Earlier, a whistleblower fuelled criticism of an airport expansion contract awarded to a company linked to Indian tycoon Gautam Adani. The deal was cancelled after Adani was charged with fraud in the US.
Kenya says the criticism has crossed borders, with users engaging in deep fakes, AI-generated images and "fabricated narratives".
“The Ministry seeks to reassure all partners that all efforts are underway to address these challenges including but not limited to the development of a Technology Responsibility Charter aimed at promoting accountability and ethical practices in the digital space.”
For Kenya, the freedoms enjoyed by many netizens should now be tamed. But it could raise questions on whether the government is blocking criticism and demands for accountability entirely.
Dr Raymond Omollo, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Interior on Thursday January 16 met with various representatives of telecommunications companies and social media companies and informed them of the policy change seeking to rid online media of ‘bad’ content.
“The increasing misuse of social media, including harassment, hate speech and incitement to violence, necessitates immediate and decisive measures,” said the ministry in a statement posted on X.
The statement added: “To ensure responsibility and accountability in the face of rising disinformation, social media manipulation, and online abuse, all social media organisations operating in the country must establish a physical presence within our jurisdiction.”
It further added that “strict compliance with this requirement is expected,” signalling stern actions against platform owners who will not comply with the demand to establish a physical presence in Kenya.
Currently, other than Google and Microsoft, there is no other global social media platform owner with a physical presence in Kenya, meaning that most of their online applications will be affected by this directive.
Some of the firms have Nairobi-based representatives but most of their operations are done remotely.
The requirement comes amidst the rising use of various platforms for activism and mobilisation by the youth against corruption, punitive taxes, and most recently, abduction of government critics.
Over the last two months, for instance, comic cartoons making fun of President William Ruto, his allies and other top government officials were spread widely using WhatsApp and X.
Around the same time, many images generated by Artificial Intelligence have also made rounds on X, Facebook, and WhatsApp, leading to the abduction and later release of a number of youths suspected to have created or shared them.
This was just months after the historic Gen Z protests, which culminated in the storming of parliament, that was largely mobilised on X, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, and walkie-talkie app Zello.
Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok are the most popular apps in Kenya, used by 64 per cent, 56 per cent, and 30 per cent of Kenyans respectively as of last September, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya.
YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, LinkedIn, and Snapchat also have a significant presence in Kenya, and usage has been growing since 2022.
President William Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen have recently warned that the freedom of speech cited by Kenyans “misusing” social media has “limits,” hinting at a crackdown on social media use.
This is not the first time the government is taking on the ‘big tech’ industry to control disinformation. In 2022, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) threatened to ban Facebook due to its failure to effectively moderate content on its platforms in Kenya. It, however, did not follow through with the threat.
Censorship of the internet has been growing in Kenya, with a record Sh9.7 billion lost to internet shutdowns last year alone, resulting from the restriction of Telegram for 21 days in November, and complete internet outage for 7 hours in June during the protests.
