NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 22 – Renowned gospel musician Reuben Kigame and the Kenya Human Rights Commission have filed a petition seeking the High Court to nullify the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024.
They warned that it grants the state unfettered power to surveil, silence and even endanger citizens who criticize the regime.
“The petitioners argue that this vague and overbroad definition effectively grants the regime the discretion to determine what constitutes truth and to punish those who speak out against it,” the petition reads.
President William Ruto signed the contentious law on October 15, 2025, despite growing concerns that it could push state-sponsored repression.
The law compels all social-media users to verify their accounts using their government-issued legal names, a move the petitioners say opens the door to state surveillance, profiling, and intimidation of regime critics.
The petition notes that this is especially dangerous in a country where human rights defenders, journalists, and activists have historically been abducted, tortured, or killed after speaking out.
“The mandatory verification requirement constitutes a blanket infringement of the right to privacy under Article 31 of the Constitution,” the petition reads. “It forces the unnecessary revelation of private affairs and directly infringes upon the privacy of communications.”
Kigame and KHRC warn that the law would make anonymity, long a shield for whistleblowers and victims of state violence, illegal.
It also forces digital platforms to rapidly remove posts flagged as offensive, and this will create a culture of pre-emptive censorship that silences online debate before it even begins.
“This law criminalizes speech on the basis of speculation,” the petition says. “It targets communication that the state claims could hypothetically cause harm, without any demonstrable link between expression and outcome.”
Kigame and KHRC also say the manner in which the Bill was passed was itself unconstitutional, as it was not referred to or debated by the Senate, despite affecting functions that fall under county governments.
