Communications Authority of Kenya and University of Nairobi review national child online protection survey

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the University of Nairobi (UoN) have begun reviewing preliminary findings from a national survey examining children’s online experiences, risks and protective factors.

The survey was conducted jointly by CA and UoN’s Institute for Development Studies (IDS) to provide a national picture of child online safety in Kenya. As part of the review process, CA hosted a stakeholder engagement forum where preliminary findings were presented and discussed with government agencies, child protection organisations, industry representatives and civil society.

According to CA, the review is intended to help validate the survey data, identify priority areas of risk and inform recommendations for regulation, industry practices and public awareness under its Child Online Protection Programme.

The initiative comes amid concerns about the scale of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse affecting children in Kenya. A UNICEF report published in September 2026 estimates that 26.83% of internet-using children aged 12–17 in Kenya, equivalent to about 1.29 million children, experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse during the previous year.

Social media was identified as the most common environment in which abuse occurred, accounting for 61% of reported incidents. WhatsApp and Facebook were identified as the platforms most frequently implicated. The report also found that in 66% of cases, the perpetrator was known to the child.

Reporting rates were low. Around 1% of cases were reported to police, while 0.4% were reported to social workers and 0.6% through helplines. The research also estimated that around 350,000 Kenyan children had sexual images or videos of themselves shared without their consent during the previous year, while 7% reported being offered money or gifts in exchange for producing sexual content.

The CA–UoN survey is expected to provide further evidence on the types of online harms experienced by children, as well as children’s and caregivers’ awareness of online risks, rights and available reporting and support mechanisms. It will also examine the role of online platforms and services, including social media, messaging applications and gaming services, in creating or mitigating risks.

The review will consider the regulatory and policy environment surrounding child online safety, including existing legal and regulatory frameworks. Potential areas for recommendations include licensing and compliance measures, industry codes of conduct, digital literacy initiatives and referral mechanisms involving different agencies.

The findings are being reviewed as part of Kenya’s wider Child Online Protection Programme. The process brings together public authorities, child protection actors, industry and civil society to assess the available evidence and consider measures to strengthen protection for children online.

The detailed results of the CA–UoN survey have not yet been published. The ongoing review is intended to inform subsequent recommendations and policy and regulatory action on child online protection in Kenya.