Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo recently announced that his ministry would take action against parents who provide opportunities for their kids to access pornographic material online.
Speaking on Radio Citizen, Kabogo declared that if reports reach the ministry about parents giving children devices that allow access to inappropriate content, those parents would face charges for corrupting their children.
The Cabinet Secretary outlined his vision for protecting Kenyan youth from harmful online content, pointing to Geneva’s introduction of special SIM cards for underage children that restrict access to certain websites.
He emphasized that parents who leave phones with unrestricted internet access with their children are essentially enabling exposure to inappropriate material, given children’s natural curiosity.
Kabogo’s statements came as part of discussions about amending the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act to address online platform misuse and misinformation.
READ: Rose Njeri Charged With Cybercrime for Letting Kenyans Email Their MPs
He condemned what he described as immoral content spreading across social media platforms, including disturbing imagery and AI-generated images targeting political leaders.
However, this policy proposal reveals a fundamental disconnect between how government operates and the reality of the world (and this is not the first instance of this we’re witnessing).
The idea of prosecuting parents for their children’s internet access is an impractical approach that ignores how technology actually functions in modern households.
Most parents today lack the technical knowledge to implement effective internet restrictions. While parental control software exists, kids nowadays possess superior technical skills compared to their parents, making it relatively simple for them to circumvent restrictions through VPNs, alternative browsers, or different devices.
Internet access is now an essential service for education in the modern world. Children need access to research materials, educational videos, and collaborative platforms for schoolwork.
Completely blocking internet access to prevent exposure to pornographic content would severely handicap their educational development, let alone their social connections.
READ: William Kabogo Approved as ICT Cabinet Secretary and Vows to Regulate Social Media
How would the government even begin to enforce such a policy? How would the ministry monitor private household internet usage? What constitutes providing an opportunity for access? Would lending a smartphone to a child for legitimate purposes become a criminal offense? All these questions prove that the ministry hasn’t put any thought into this proposal.
Do I need to mention how ironic it is for this government to make such statements when you consider how the political class conducts itself?
Recently, we witnessed political figures who represent the government using vulgar and sexualized language in public forums. Political rallies have repeatedly featured crude humor and inappropriate commentary that gets broadcast across media platforms.
If the government wants to protect children from inappropriate content, perhaps they should start by looking in the mirror.
The real tragedy here is how Kabogo completely misses the point of what effective digital protection looks like. Countries that have successfully addressed exposure of minors to inappropriate content didn’t do it by threatening parents with jail time.
They did it through comprehensive digital literacy programs, open communication, and creating environments where parents and children feel comfortable engaging in discussions on such sensitive matters.
Unfortunately, the ICT Cabinet Secretary is treating parents like criminals and children like victims in a scenario where the real need is education and support.
Instead of acknowledging that technology has outpaced traditional parenting methods (a fact even psychologists can attest to), he’s doubling down on punitive measures that will accomplish nothing except filling court dockets.
What Kenya actually needs is a government that understands technology well enough to draft sensible policies around it.
Parents need support, not threats. Children need education, not restrictions that they’ll circumvent in a few taps. And the government needs to clean up its own act before lecturing anyone else about appropriate behavior.
