Aldai Member of Parliament Maryanne Keitanny has sparked national debate by introducing a controversial bill that could force every social media user in Kenya to upload their national ID to continue using online platforms.
While she claims it is meant to reduce online crime, fake news, and cyberbullying, this bill reeks of control, surveillance, and a dangerous overreach by the government into people’s private lives. Under this new law, anyone opening a new social media account would be forced to verify their identity using their ID.
Even existing users would have to update their profiles with ID information. Keitanny argues that this is just like when someone registers a phone line or opens a bank account, but this comparison is both flawed and misleading.Bank accounts and phone lines involve financial transactions and SIM registration, often under strict legal and financial environments.
Social media, on the other hand, is a platform for communication, self-expression, and activism. Forcing people to tie their opinions and voices to government-issued IDs could lead to fear, censorship, and punishment for speaking up especially in a country where whistleblowers, activists, and critics are often targeted.
While Keitanny says the aim is to make the internet safer for children and vulnerable users, her proposal completely ignores the risks of exposing millions of Kenyans to data misuse, cyberattacks, and government spying.Keitanny has also claimed that storing user data will be safe and only used for investigations.
But there is no evidence that the government or social media companies in Kenya have the proper systems in place to protect such sensitive data. We have seen time and again how government data can be leaked, sold, or used politically.
This bill opens the door for state surveillance in a way that could silence critical voices under the guise of “accountability.” Her repeated line that “freedom of speech comes with responsibility” is a weak excuse for trying to force people into silence through intimidation.
Instead of improving digital safety, Keitanny’s bill will likely scare people off platforms, reduce trust in online communication, and kill the remaining space for free expression in the country. If passed, it could be weaponized against opposition figures, journalists, and ordinary citizens who simply want to voice their opinions.
Her move is not just harmful it is reckless and irresponsible. Rather than fixing Kenya’s real problems like poor infrastructure, rising unemployment, or corruption, she is pushing a law that will make the internet less free and more dangerous. The public must resist this proposal before it turns Kenya into a digital prison.
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