
Deadline: Friday, 14th February 2025
Time: 11:59 PM

Young people are at the heart of Amnesty International Kenya’s advocacy for digital rights and data protection. As technology advances, university students are not just passive users but key players in shaping the future of digital rights in Kenya. Their voices and actions are essential in safeguarding personal data and ensuring privacy protections are upheld.
Privacy First is a youth-led campaign designed to empower young advocates to lead impactful campaigns on data protection. Through this initiative, university students will gain the knowledge and tools needed to challenge privacy violations, influence policies, and create lasting change in Kenya’s digital landscape.
A core part of Privacy First is strengthening youth-led networks focused on digital rights. By fostering engagement at both regional and national levels, the campaign ensures that young people are at the forefront of discussions on privacy, data protection, and digital freedoms. This movement provides a platform for students to advocate for stronger privacy protections and challenge emerging threats such as state surveillance, data misuse, and privacy infringements.
With the digitization of services accelerating in Kenya, university students in Nairobi and Mombasa are among the most affected by privacy concerns. Yet, their voices often go unheard in key policy discussions. Privacy First seeks to bridge this gap by equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and platforms to lead digital rights advocacy within their institutions and beyond.
Through Privacy First, a new generation of digital rights defenders will emerge—driving change at both grassroots and national levels to ensure that privacy is protected for all.
What You’ll Gain
As a Privacy First campaigner, you will:
- Expert Knowledge: Gain in-depth training on topics like data privacy, digital rights, online surveillance, and Kenya’s data protection laws, helping you understand the landscape of privacy rights.
- Advocacy Skills: You get to lead your own campaign, with support from Amnesty International Kenya. Learn effective advocacy techniques, both online and offline, that you can use to lead digital rights campaigns.
- Networking & Mentorship: Benefit from ongoing mentorship and guidance from digital rights experts at Amnesty International. You’ll also connect with other young advocates to exchange ideas and collaborate on impactful initiatives.
- Access to Resources: Receive campaign toolkits, digital campaign strategies, and other materials that will help you build, launch, and sustain successful digital privacy campaigns in your university.
- Leadership Opportunities: Build a legacy on your campus by leading campaigns that promote privacy rights. You’ll also have the chance to showcase your work during key Amnesty events, such as the Global Youth Digital Rights Summit.
- Certificates of Recognition: You’ll each be awarded certificates acknowledging your participation and recognizing the work you have put in to create your own digital rights campaigns.
NB: The Privacy First Campaign is completely voluntary—however, reasonable costs related to participation in physical meetings, meals, and refreshments will be covered. Modest internet costs will be reimbursed for virtual meetings
Eligibility Requirements
We are looking for passionate and committed university students who meet the following
criteria:
- You are currently enrolled at a university in Nairobi or Mombasa. You should be available for a 5-day in-person training in March 2025. (You should be enrolled in a university until 2026)
- You are passionate about digital rights, privacy, and data protection.
- You are willing and able to commit time and effort to the campaign from March 2025 to January 2026, including attending training sessions, developing campaigns, and leading on-campus and digital rights advocacy activities. Campaign training and development commences on 10th March 2025.
- You have a desire to learn, grow, and take initiative in leading advocacy efforts.
- Previous experience in advocacy or campaign activities is a plus but not required. Your passion and willingness to engage are the most important factors!
- Be under the age of 25 during the Privacy First Campaign.
- We are committed to diversity, inclusion, and the participation of marginalized groups. To ensure the campaign reflects Kenya’s rich socio-cultural diversity, applications are open to all students, regardless of background or discipline.
What Will You Do?
As part of the Privacy First team, you will:
- Participate in funded in-person training workshops: Selected campaigners will join an intensive 5-day workshop from 10th to 14th March 2025 in Nairobi (for Nairobi-based campaigners) and 17th to 21st March in Mombasa (for Mombasa-based campaigners), where you’ll be introduced to data privacy, surveillance issues, data protection laws in Kenya, advocacy strategies and campaign development. This will be your foundation for building your own campaign.
- Lead local campaigns: After the workshop, you will work in your university or community to develop and lead locally relevant campaigns on digital rights violations that affect young people in Kenya. This could include social media campaigns, digital petitions, in-person workshops, or university events focusing on raising awareness about digital rights issues.
- Collaborate and Innovate: You’ll have the flexibility to design campaigns that resonate with your peers, whether through creating digital content, and using digitally disruptive approaches to reach students on your campus. Receive Ongoing Mentorship: Throughout the campaign, Amnesty International Kenya, will provide mentorship by pairing you up with an Amnesty staff member to help you shape your campaign and ensure your initiatives are impactful and sustainable.
- Amplify Your Impact: Your work will contribute to a larger national movement for digital rights. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with policy makers, influence public opinion, and become part of broader conversation about the future of digital rights in Kenya.
How to Apply
The application will include:
- A brief statement explaining your passion for digital privacy and why you want to be part of this campaign, and initial ideas for how you would engage fellow students in digital rights advocacy at your university.
The application process is designed to assess your passion for privacy rights, willingness to commit, and vision for how you would champion this cause.
What’s Next?
This is your chance to become a pioneer for digital rights and privacy protection in Kenya! Join us as we shape the future of digital rights, one university at a time. Take the first step towards becoming a privacy first champion by applying today.
The deadline for applications is Friday, 14th February 2025 at 11.59 pm.
For inquiries and further information, email us at [email protected]
Empower yourself, protect your data, and lead the charge for digital rights across Kenya!
Apply now and be part of the Privacy First movement.