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Mapping of Legal Framework and Responses by Actors to Address Harmful Content Online in Kenya
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Kenyan Coalition Members trained on Media and Information Literacy for Digital Peace Building
The training, facilitated by Africa Centre for People Institutions and Society, brought together 25 representatives of the coalition from regulatory bodies, media associations, peace-building organisations, fact-checking organisations, tech associations/networks, and academia in Kenya.
During the workshop, Victor Bwire, Director of Media Training and Development at Media Council of Kenya, delivered a key note underscoring the important need to mainstream media and information literacy competencies in actions at national and county levels. Stressing that regulatory bodies cannot police people’s media consumption, he called on the coalition to synergise and focus efforts in mainstreaming media and information literacy in education and capacity building for self-regulation. This should include encouraging responsible usage of media content in both formal and informal settings.
He further indicated that UNESCO had supported the Council in drafting the National Media and Information Literacy policy for Kenya. The draft policy is now being reviewed, and is pending submission to Parliament in Kenya.
John Okande, Programme Officer, UNESCO, highlighted milestones that had been achieved in promoting of Media and Information Literacy competencies in Kenya. He emphasised the need for stakeholders within the coalition to mainstream and promote related competencies in digital peace-building to address harmful content, especially online disinformation and hate speech in Kenya.
Olive Metet, Deputy Director Corporate Communications at National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), stated that there has been a significant shift on how hate speech and disinformation is spread on digital platforms. He encouraged cooperation with the established coalition to formulate strategies to address this new challenge.
“There is a need for deliberate and strategic promotion of gender-responsive programming in peace building initiatives, particularly to address harmful content online in Kenya. This is key to building responsible, self-aware and peaceful societies.”
— Patience Nyange, Executive Director at Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK)
Dr. Charles Nyambuga, Senior Lecturer of Communication and Media at Maseno University, reminded the audience that democracy thrives on accurate information. Educating people to disseminate factual information is therefore crucial to safeguarding democracy, and should begin with mainstreaming media and information literacy (MIL) within teaching curriculum and practices in universities.
Participants were urged to be ambassadors in Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and to incorporate the gained competencies from the training into their daily activities and lives. Topics covered included: Key MIL competencies, open sourced tools for identifying and analysing online hate speech and disinformation, Kenya’s policy and regulatory landscape governing the digital space, modern training techniques and methodologies, effective learner engagement strategies among others.
“I’m thrilled to inform members that we have expanded the coalition with three new memberships: Paradigm Initiative (PIN), National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), and the National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management. These new additions come to bolster the coalition’s efforts and enhance its ability to achieve its set goals.”
— John Okande, Programme Officer, UNESCO
The workshop was organized under UNESCO EU-funded project Social Media 4 Peace in Kenya. The initiative seeks to strengthen the resilience of societies to potentially harmful content spread online, in particular hate speech inciting violence while protecting freedom of expression and enhancing the promotion of peace through digital technologies, notably social media.
Kenya Launches National Coalition to Fight Harmful Content on Digital Platforms
Attendees gather group photo with former Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Prof. Hubert Gijzen. The launch drew stakeholders across Kenyan society, including government, regulatory bodies, media associations, civil society organizations, fact checkers, academia, technology organizations, international organizations, embassies, and the UN family in Kenya. © UNESCO
The National Coalition on Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Kenya (FECoMo) was officially launched on 14 March 2023, as part of a partnership between UNESCO and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) under the ‘Social Media for Peace’ project in Kenya.
The established coalition will serve as a mechanism for engagement between local stakeholders and social media companies to create content moderation strategies that are informed by international human rights standards, local policies and contexts. It brings together representatives from regulators, media associations, fact checkers, civil society organizations, academia and international organizations, among others, across Kenya.
A major milestone under the EU-funded project, the launch brought together more than 70 representatives from the digital and media landscape in Kenya. Whole-of-society stakeholders were present to witness the establishment from FECoMo, reflecting the nation’s multi-stakeholder approach towards navigating the challenges and opportunities of digital spaces.
Although social media platforms have opened spaces for people to communicate, share ideas, promote freedom of expression and foster access to information, they also bring a plethora of challenges. The business and service models of major global digital platforms create structural incentives to spread disinformation and hate speech.
This was well-elaborated by Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Kenya, Ms. Katrin Hagemann, in her opening remarks at the launch. Ms. Hagemann described how malicious actors have abused social media platforms to spread hate speech and disinformation. Particularly during sensitive periods like elections, such abuses create ethnic division and political intolerance, instead of promoting positivity and peace.
“I trust this established coalition will come up with concrete strategies that would enable us construct and sustain new solutions to address hate speech and disinformation. I hope the coalition will pay attention to the root causes as well as the drivers, scale and impact of potentially harmful content online, with a view to enhancing the promotion of peace building narratives in Kenya.” — Ms. Katrin Hagemann, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Kenya
UNESCO Regional Director and Representative for Eastern Africa, Prof. Hubert Gijzen, reiterated the need for digital platforms to advocate for good avoid profiting from the dissemination of disinformation, hate speech, harassment, and cyberbullying. “If we continue to tolerate social media algorithms which reward lies,” he warned, “future generations will inherit a world in which truth has been dangerously devalued. We hope that this coalition will play a critical role in filling the gap between the realities of local actors and the digital companies that operate on a global scale for the oversight of content moderation of their platforms.”
Prof. Gijzen called upon stakeholders to work for peaceful spaces on social media, and urged new members to reflect, deliberate and propose actions to address harmful content and ensure an Internet for Trust in Kenya.
FECoMo will provide a platform for constructive dialogue with big-tech companies, through which local actors can nudge platforms to allocate sufficient resources towards content moderation and addressing harmful content. This mandate was further emphasised by the Chairman of the NCIC, Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, who encouraged members to cooperate with technology companies in embracing local legal frameworks.
“There is very little funding allocated for content moderation by platforms. They make big profits off users and some of these profits should be ploughed back into protecting their users on their platforms.”— Ms Aideen Conway, Prevention and Human Rights Analyst, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
FECoMo will also work with technology companies to ensure decisions on content moderation is done with sufficient awareness and understanding of the linguistic, cultural, social, economic, and political dimensions of relevant local context. At the launch, several members of the new Coalition raised the importance of promoting multilingualism in digital policies, including Ms Liz Orembo, a Researcher and Trustee at Kenya ICT Network (KICTANET). “We should invest more on ground research to understand the needs of users and capture our linguistic diversities,” she opined, “This will enable us to understand the different nuances of hate speech and misinformation in social media.”
The launch allowed stakeholders to engage and reflect on recommendations prepared by members of the coalition in December 2022 in Naivasha, Kenya. Participants also discussed strategies and mechanisms for operationalizing the launched coalition in Kenya.
Members emphasized on the need for the coalition to conduct qualitative research on the motivations of users to consume hateful and harmful content on social media. In addition, it was proposed that the coalition should start sensitizing audiences on their rights, local policies and mechanisms that exist for their protection against digital harms and violations.
The UNESCO ‘Social Media for Peace’ project is a multi-year funded project by the European Union in Kenya. It seeks to strengthen the resilience of civil society to potentially harmful content spread online, while protecting freedom of expression and contributing to the promotion of peace through digital technologies.
Originally published by UNESCO on 22 March, 2023.
