This archive report was first published on 12 June 2021.
Kenya's government has proposed a bill that seeks to give it more control over online content. The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2020, aims to prohibit the dissemination of pornographic content and criminalize the spread of information deemed 'terrorist' in nature.
The bill also proposes that the Computer and Cyber Crimes Coordination Committee can render certain websites inaccessible from Kenya and seek to have them blocked. This move has raised concerns about online freedom and censorship.
According to the bill, a person who publishes or transmits electronic messages that is likely to cause other persons to join or participate in terrorist activities, commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty five years or to both.
Heavy fines and imprisonment are also proposed for violating the bill. Kenyans who wish to submit their remarks are invited to do so via email to [email protected] by Friday, June 18th, 2021.
