The Kenyan government is considering regulating
the operations of TikTok in the country rather than banning the Chinese
video-sharing platform outright. The Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of
Information, Communications, and Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo, has advocated
for regulation as a preferable solution.
TikTok has been accused of disseminating
content that promotes violence, hate speech, and offensive behavior, prompting
calls for its prohibition. Bob Ndolo, the Executive Officer of Bridget Connect
Consultancy, lodged a petition to Kenya's Parliament seeking TikTok's ban last
year, citing concerns over its threat to cultural and religious values.
However, during a meeting with the National
Assembly Standing Committee on Public Petitions, Owalo emphasized the
importance of regulation. He highlighted that effective content moderation
requires collaboration between platform owners and regulators to ensure
alignment with Kenyan values.
Cabinet Secretary Owalo, accompanied by PS ICT
and Digital Economy Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, engaged with key stakeholders
including Hon. Janet Sitienei, the National Assembly Committee, Data
Commissioner Immaculate Kassait, Director-General of Communications Authority
David Mugonyi, and Juliana Yiapan, Secretary for Administration in the State
Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications.
Meanwhile, TikTok's senior officials for its
operation in sub-Saharan Africa last week told lawmakers that they have prioritized the
safety of users on the app. They also noted that a ban would infringe on the
constitutional rights of Kenyans. The officials added that the platform is
aligned with the government’s creative economy agenda that holds promise to
partly address the challenge of unemployment in the country.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
