This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On October 2, 2019, a bill was filed in Kenya's parliament that could significantly impact the country's social media landscape.
The Kenya Information and Communication (Amendment) Bill 2019, filed by Malava MP Malulu Injendi, aims to regulate social media platforms and bloggers.
According to the bill, social media platforms include online publishing and discussion, media sharing, blogging, social networking, document and data sharing repositories, social media applications, social bookmarking, and widgets.
Under the proposed law, administrators of social media groups and bloggers who contravene the law could face a fine of between 200,000 and 500,000 Kenyan shillings or serve a two-year jail term, or both.
The Communication Authority of Kenya will be responsible for creating a Blogger's Code of Conduct in consultation with bloggers and maintaining a register of all bloggers.
Administrators of social media groups will also be required to notify the Communication Authority upon opening their platforms and explain their intentions.
They will also be responsible for approving members who join the group and giving the go-ahead for content to be published.
The bill is currently in the first reading.
