The Kenya Online Safety Bill would stop anyone under 18 from using many online services without a parent’s consent, and it would let courts fine a company up to KSh 500 million or 10% of its global turnover, whichever is higher. It is a proposal, not a law. The bill was listed for its first reading in the National Assembly on Nov. 12, 2026. Here is what it actually says, and what it leaves out.
The short version
A private member’s bill in Kenya’s National Assembly sets new safety duties for online services that people in Kenya use, with the strictest rules aimed at children. It has a long way to go before it could become law.
- Clause 12(2) says no child under 18 may access or use a covered service without consent from a parent or guardian.
- Covered services must use “highly effective” age checks where the most harmful content, such as pornography, is present.
- A company convicted of breaking its duties could be fined up to KSh 500 million, about $3.85 million, or 10% of its yearly global turnover, whichever is higher.
- A senior executive found responsible could face a fine of up to KSh 10 million, up to 5 years in prison, or both.
- The bill names no companies and sets no fixed deadline for removing content, so much of the detail would come later in regulations.
What changes for you: if the bill passed as written, a 16-year-old in Kenya could need a parent to approve their accounts on social media, search and video apps, and the parent would have to prove they are the parent. That would change how teens sign up for almost everything online.
What the Kenya Online Safety Bill says
The bill is National Assembly Bill No. 69 of 2026. It was published in the Kenya Gazette on Oct. 29, 2026, and is sponsored by Mark Mwenje, the member of Parliament for Embakasi West. You can read the full bill on Parliament’s website.
It covers “regulated services,” meaning apps and sites where users share content with each other, search services, and other services the government names in regulations, as long as people in Kenya can reach them. The Communications Authority of Kenya would enforce it.
The rules for children and parents
- Who counts as a child: anyone under 18. There is no separate rule for 13 to 15-year-olds.
- Parental consent: a child may not access or use a covered service without a parent’s consent, and a parent can withdraw that consent later.
- Proof of parent: services must check that the adult giving consent really is the parent or guardian. The bill lists credit card checks, identity checks and digital ID as accepted methods.
- Blocked content: services must stop children from seeing pornography and content that promotes suicide, self-harm or eating disorders.
- Parents are not punished: the bill says a parent is not liable just because their child saw harmful content.
The consent rule is wider than many people expect. It covers using a service, not only opening an account.
The fines, in dollars
Breaking the duties would be a criminal offense for the company. On conviction, the fine is up to KSh 500 million or 10% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher. At the Central Bank of Kenya rate of KSh 129.96 to the dollar on Nov. 12, KSh 500 million is about $3.85 million.
For the world’s biggest platforms, the 10% figure is the one that matters, because 10% of global turnover would be far larger than KSh 500 million. Executives who allowed a breach through consent, connivance or gross negligence could face up to KSh 10 million, about $76,950, up to five years in prison, or both.
What the bill leaves out
- It does not name Meta, TikTok, X or any other company.
- It says harmful content must be removed in an “expeditious” way, but sets no hour or day deadline.
- It does not require services to scan private messages, and it says any scanning must follow Kenya’s Data Protection Act.
- The bill’s own summary mentions limits on addictive features, but those do not appear in the clauses themselves.
What happens next
A first reading is only the start. If the bill moves forward, it would normally go to a committee, which invites public comments before a second reading and a vote. We could not find an official call for public comments on Parliament’s website as of Nov. 14. Watch parliament.go.ke for that notice if you want to have a say.
Age checks for teens are spreading. Instagram now estimates ages worldwide, and Snapchat now hides UK teens from Find Friends by default. For steps you can take today, see how to protect children’s data online. Should teens need a parent’s permission to go online? Tell us what you think.
