KICTANet

KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for ICT policy and regulation.

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

🎓 The Kenya School of Internet Governance just graduated its 11th Cohort at the sidelines of #KeIGF26 and this one hits different. The Class of 2026 didn't just show up. They funded their own participation. That's not just a cohort. That's a movement.

Since 2016, KeSIG has been the pipeline for the next generation of African internet governance voices — equipping young people with the knowledge, networks, and confidence to shape digital policy.Ten cohorts in.

The momentum is unmistakable. What makes 2026 stand out: full self-funding by participants. A signal that this community has matured beyond dependency — into ownership, commitment, and long-term sustainability.

That's how movements outlast moments.
Congratulations to every member of #KeSIG2026. The internet governance table now has more Kenyan voices at it and they earned their seat.

Welcome to the community. 🌍#KeSIG2026 #AfTPS2026 #KeIGF26 #InternetGovernance

[Citizen TV Kenya @citizentvkenya]

Constitutional petition filed at the High Court seeking to stop government and its affiliated social media accounts from blocking Kenyans from accessing, engaging with the platforms

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

490 million Facebook users in Africa. 180 content moderators. That is not a gap.

That is the reality behind online gender violence in Kenya. A thread from the No Safe Scroll session at #KenyaIGF

Zipporah Kamau ran for a ward seat in 2022. Someone shared a fabricated image of her on Facebook during her campaign. She spent two weeks inside her house. When she reported it, the police officer dismissed her. "Online violence affects the whole family," she said.

The data confirms what survivors already know. A 2024 COVAW study found women face higher rates of Technology Facilitated GBV and are far less likely to report it. Victim blaming runs from the community all the way to the courtroom.

Justice actors — magistrates and judges — have told trainers they do not see #TFGBV as a real offence. Kenya's Sexual Offences Act has been under review for three years. Advocates are still pushing to have online sexual offences formally recognised.

On platforms: less than 1% of AI training data comes from Africa. That means content moderation tools routinely miss harmful language in local languages. And with only 180 content moderators for 490 million African Facebook users — the maths does not work.

What needs to happen:
→ Resource civil society, not just consult it
→ Build African language content moderation
→ Name TFGBV in law and in budgets
→ Consult survivors when building AI tools https://t.co/gxm7NsNufA #CARE #SheConnects #EmpowerHER

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

🚨 From Community Voices to Better Decisions: Building Trust in Community Signals:

Communities generate valuable signals every day through radio call-ins, text messages, social media conversations, chat apps, and in-person gatherings. Yet only a fraction of these insights reach decision-makers in time to shape meaningful action.

🎯 What happens when language, literacy, and geographic barriers prevent community voices from being heard? Critical signals are often missed, leaving the most affected communities excluded from decisions that influence their lives.

Today, KICTANet was represented by Neema Mujesia, Communications Advisor, a workshop hosted by Ushahidi. The discussion brought together diverse stakeholders to explore how we can build a legitimate, inclusive community signal layer grounded in consent, accountability, data ownership, and trust.

The conversation challenged us to reflect on the signals we miss, the insights we need in real time, and what it would take for AI-assisted community data to be trusted and acted upon.

💡 At KICTANet, this conversation resonates deeply with our work. For the past three years, we have leveraged the Ushahidi platform to track and document Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV) cases across Kenya. Through community reporting, we have been able to surface trends, amplify lived experiences, and generate evidence that informs advocacy and policy engagement. This experience reinforces the value of trusted, community-driven data systems that turn voices into action.

📢 If you experience or witness Online Gender-Based Violence, we encourage you to report it through the KICTANet OGBV Tracker: https://t.co/AnUgRzJJPy . Every report contributes to a stronger evidence base for advocacy and helps create safer, more inclusive digital spaces for all.

➡️ The way forward: The future of community-centred decision-making depends on creating systems that not only collect voices but also ensure they are heard, understood, and acted upon. This means strengthening inclusive data governance, building trust in AI-assisted processes, and ensuring that communities remain owners and stewards of their own data. Collaboration across civil society, technology communities, policymakers, and local communities will be essential in turning community signals into meaningful action and better outcomes for all.

#CommunityVoices #DigitalInclusion #AIForGood #DataGovernance #PublicParticipation #KICTANet #Ushahidi #OGBV #DigitalSafety

^NM

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

Dr. Githaiga said it best. "When we did the first step, we didn't even realise it would get to a room like this." Today it did. The work continues. #DigitalInclusionKE #DisabilityInclusion #ICTAccessibility

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

🧵 Dr. @ggithaiga opened today's workshop with @CA_Kenya not with data. With stories. They stopped the room. #DigitalInclusionKE #DisabilityInclusion #ICTAccessibility

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

Mr. Mugonyi's ( @CA_DGOfficial ) message: "Any of us can become a person with a disability at any time. That is why this work matters for everyone." #DigitalInclusionKE #DisabilityInclusion #ICTAccessibility

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

Accessibility is not a feature. It is a right. The Persons with Disabilities Act 2025 and Kenya's ICT laws exist to protect it. Today we make sure people know how to demand it.

Follow this thread for updates from the workshop floor. #DigitalInclusionKE https://t.co/9WkAqWq7wl

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

🧵 Kenya has 61.99 million mobile data subscribers. Persons with disabilities access the internet at just 11%.

Today we are doing something about it. Today, in partnership with the @CA_Kenya we are hosting a technical workshop on Digital Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities and Emerging Technologies.

One agenda: close the gap. #DigitalInclusionKE

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

On the table today: digital rights under the PWD Act 2025, cyber safety, AI and inclusion, online gender-based violence, accessible e-government services and the Universal Service Fund.

Between Oct–Dec 2025, Kenya blocked 4.6 billion cyber threats. A 441% jump. PWDs face these threats with less support and more exposure. That is not acceptable. #DigitalInclusionKE

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

EmpowerHer Visit – Location 2: Milestone CBO, Githurai 44

Today, KICTANet, through the #EmpowerHer Project, visited Milestone CBO as part of ongoing community engagement.

We are building women’s knowledge, confidence, and skills to use digital technologies to improve livelihoods, while promoting positive social norms around women’s technology use.

Milestone CBO supports women, widows, youth, and young women through skills training in hairdressing, beauty, soap making, leadership, and table banking, while also providing a safe space for economic empowerment in a community affected by drug abuse. Women are increasingly using social media to grow their businesses and improve digital skills.

Ester Mbogo shared the CBO’s progress in empowering women through collective support and skills development. Joseph Mbuthia, Founder, emphasized the importance of empowering women for stronger families and communities. Namarome Walubengo highlighted the role of the project in advancing safe and effective digital inclusion.

The visit reinforced the value of community-led approaches to women’s economic and digital empowerment.

#TheAccelerator #SheConnects #DigitalSisters #CARE #EmpowerHer

^NM

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

EmpowerHer Community Visit – Location 1: Tutah Foundation, Mukuru wa Njenga

Today, KICTANet, through the #EmpowerHer Project, visited Tutah Foundation in Mukuru wa Njenga to gather feedback from trainers and strengthen collaboration ahead of activities starting July 2026.

EmpowerHer, developed with CARE and county stakeholders, uses a train-the-trainer model:

1. 300 Trainers of Trainers across Nairobi, Kisumu, and Nyandarua
2. Each trainer reaching at least 50 women
3. Target: 15,000 women trained in 15 months
4. Focus areas: digital safety, financial literacy, e-commerce, AI tools, and digital entrepreneurship

Tutah Foundation has supported girls’ economic empowerment, with over six starting businesses, despite challenges such as poverty, limited internet access, and lack of smartphones. The program serves Mukuru wa Njenga, Mukuru wa Reuben, Pipeline, Kware, Imara Daima, and nearby areas.

Ms. Everlyne Tutah, Founder of Tutah Foundation, said:

"With the right skills, women can transform their livelihoods and communities."

Namarome Walubengo, Nairobi Project Coordinator at KICTANet, noted:

"Local partners are key to reaching women at the grassroots level."

Gladys Ndivo, Facilitator at Tutah Foundation, added:

"The dialogue continues to shape and strengthen our community work."

The visit reinforced partnerships for advancing women’s digital and economic empowerment.

Present also were Ms. Neema Masitsa, Communications Advisor at KICTANet, and Ms. Caroline Mwikali, Project M&E Officer.

#TheAccelerator #SheConnects#DigitalSisters #CARE #EmpowerHer\

^NM

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

Kenya held its 19th Internet Governance Forum under #AfTPS2026.

Over 300 stakeholders gathered to shape Africa's digital future. Here are the conversations that mattered.

The internet governance conversation has shifted. It is no longer just about getting people online. It is now about AI policy, digital rights, online safety, and who controls the infrastructure shaping our lives.

On digital inclusion: rural communities still face unreliable electricity, expensive data, and low digital literacy. Meanwhile, taxes on airtime and devices continue to push the internet further out of reach for those who need it most.

On TFGBV: less than 1% of AI training data comes from Africa, leaving harmful content in local languages undetected. Kenya is now building a Lexicon of harmful terms in Swahili, Luo, Luhya, Kikuyu, Somali and Ateso to change that.

On AI: Kenya's national AI policy is in development, with 50 technical experts involved. The warning is clear — build AI on African data, for African realities. Dependency on imported models leaves the continent behind.

"We cannot be building for others." — Amb. Philip Thigo.

Kenya hosts the Global @intgovforum later this year.

The question is what positions Africa will carry into that room. #AfTPS2026 #KeIGF2026 https://t.co/zoOvsNhnwR

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

🤔 Ni nini kinachowazuia wanawake kutumia teknolojia kukuza biashara zao hata wanapokuwa na simu?

Katika Mdahalo wa Kizazi kwa Kizazi wa KICTANet jijini Nairobi, wanawake kutoka kaunti ndogo zote 17 walieleza changamoto wanazokutana nazo: mila na desturi, shinikizo la kifamilia, unyanyasaji mtandaoni, utapeli, na ukosefu wa fursa za kutumia teknolojia kwa maendeleo ya kiuchumi.

📱 42% hutumia simu zaidi kwa mawasiliano binafsi
🛑 56% ya wanawake waliogombea uchaguzi wa 2022 walikumbana na unyanyasaji mtandaoni
🌍 Matumizi ya intaneti vijijini bado yako chini

Kupitia mradi wa #EmpowerHer, KICTANet inawawezesha wanawake 15,000 katika Nairobi, Kisumu na Nyandarua kupitia mafunzo ya ujuzi wa kidijitali na utetezi wa jamii.

🎥 Tazama hapa: https://t.co/VpFXvSInmw

🎙️ Kwa hisani ya Radio Domus.
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What keeps women from using technology for business, even when they own a phone?

At KICTANet's Intergenerational Dialogue in Nairobi, women from all 17 sub-counties shared the barriers they face: cultural norms, family pressure, online abuse, scams, and limited opportunities to use digital tools for economic growth.

📱 42% use phones mainly for personal communication
🛑 56% of women candidates in 2022 faced online bullying
🌍 Daily internet use remains much lower in rural areas

Through the #EmpowerHer Project, KICTANet is supporting 15,000 women across Nairobi, Kisumu, and Nyandarua with digital skills and community advocacy to bridge the gender digital divide.

🎥 Watch here: https://t.co/VpFXvSInmw

🎙️ Courtesy of @RadioDomus .

#DigitalInclusion #WomenInTech #EmpowerHer #GenderEquality #CARE #AfTPS2026

^NM

[KICTANet @KICTANet]

🇰🇪 Kenya is preparing to host #IGF2026.

The inaugural meeting of the Host Country Multistakeholder Organising Committee took place today at the @ForeignOfficeKE, Nairobi. This was led by @SingoeiAKorir & Mr. Stephen Isaboke, EBS PS - Broadcasting and Telecommunications @MoICTKenya.

The IGF Secretariat assessment mission follows 22–23 June, ahead of the Global MAG Meeting 24–26 June.

The internet's future is being shaped here. 🌍 #InternetGovernance https://t.co/xAucvgbdiM