Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has announced new measures to further improve child online protection in Kenya, with the ministry set to roll out compliance monitoring of digital platforms and service providers.

Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the ICT cabinet secretary further said that the ministry, under the Communications Authority of Kenya, intends to enforce the implementation of the recently issued guidance to promote online safety and protection for children in Kenya.

“The ministry, through the Communications Authority of Kenya, plans to undertake compliance checks to ensure compliance with the Industry Guidelines for Child Online Protection and Safety in Kenya, 2025,” Kabogo stated.

The initial stage will focus on conducting compliance audits throughout the industry to verify stakeholders are putting in place the necessary child online safety measures, Kabogo said.

Regulatory action against cyberbullying

The CS is also leveraging data gathered in the current National Survey on Child Online Protection and Safety in Kenya to inform future regulatory action that will safeguard children and young people from online threats.

“Leverage the findings from the ongoing National Survey on Child Online Protection and Safety in Kenya to inform the development of regulatory interventions geared towards protecting children and youth online as well as enhancing appropriate regulatory mechanisms to meet regulatory objectives,” he added.

According to the CS, the survey is expected to yield key information on cyberbullying, online exploitation, exposure to harmful content, digital privacy risks and trends in minors’ online usage in Kenya.

Kabogo has said that the move is due to rising fears of children’s exposure to online environments lacking in safety, with the growing penetration of the internet and children’s use of smartphones around the country.

The interventions planned are part of a larger endeavour to build a safer digital environment for kids and young people, while upholding innovation, freedom of the internet and responsible online participation, says the ministry.

According to the Cabinet Secretary, the government is stepping in to regulate the country’s growing digital space, with industry and internet service providers and digital content platforms now expected to follow the guidelines set out in 2025.