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Bloggers decry digital rights purge by State
State agencies can slow down the internet, either on an entire network or to a specific website or platform, a concept known as network throttling that aims at making the connection extremely slow that it becomes unusable.
The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) has called out what it terms as up-scaled government overreach in surveillance and censorship of online activities, saying the trend poses a direct threat to the digital rights and freedoms of citizens.
In a new report that assesses the state of the internet landscape in Kenya, BAKE says the country’s digital progress and status as a regional tech leader are being undermined by the erosion of citizen freedoms and the absence of clear legal instruments to govern the space.
“Despite the economic boom, a wave of legislative and State actions has systematically eroded the fundamental freedoms of citizens,” says the association.
“Repressive laws like the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act have been weaponised to criminalise online speech, leading to the harassment and arrest of bloggers, journalists, and activists.”
The report documents various instances of the referenced violations, including political abductions and even the death of bloggers who were critical of powerful figures.
“The government’s use of Internet shutdowns and throttling during periods of public dissent, such as the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests, is a particularly alarming trend that marks a departure from Kenya’s history of relatively open internet access,” wrote the lobby group.
“These actions not only violate the right to freedom of expression but also cause significant economic losses.”
Also flagged is the shutdown of popular social platform Telegram in 2024, which the government said was to curb examinations cheating, with the bloggers saying the measure has been broadly criticised by multiple quarters as being ineffective and disproportionate.
The report further trains focus on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), which it says grew in prevalence during the review period, taking diverse forms such as cyberbullying, online defamation, cyberstalking, and trolling.
According to the findings, nearly 90 percent of young adults enrolled in Nairobi’s tertiary institutions have witnessed TFGBV, with 39 percent having experienced it personally.
While online violence has an extensive reach, the study noted that female students are disproportionately impacted.
“Legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to address TFGBV are largely considered inadequate,” reads the report.
“Training of these groups on the potential risks online, how to safely navigate online platforms, how to report OGBV incidences, and the relevant laws, regulations, and policies that safeguard their digital rights contributes to enhancing safety on digital platforms.”
