Defending Digital Rights. Protecting People. Reclaiming Civic Space.
The first quarter of 2026 marked a critical moment for digital rights in Kenya and across the region. From landmark court decisions that reshaped online freedom of expression, to grassroots conversations on privacy, data protection, and young people’s digital well‑being, this quarter underscored one clear truth: technology is not neutral, and how it is governed determines who is protected and who is exposed.
Our Quarter at a Glance
- 5+ counties reached by the Tech & Human Rights team
- 10+ data protection workshops and conferences convened
- 200+ civil and human rights organisations trained
- 2,000+ people reached through community and national engagements
What Shaped This Quarter
Strengthening Data Governance In Kenya
World Privacy Week: Taking Privacy to the People
Privacy conversations moved out of boardrooms and into communities during World Privacy Week 2026. Working with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, we engaged communities in Kwale and Nakuru on data rights, consent, and protection, translating abstract laws into everyday realities.
These conversations continued nationally at the Data Privacy Conference 2026 in Mombasa, where one message was clear: trust is the foundation of digital progress, and trust requires accountability.
Through a week‑long media partnership with Nation Media Group, including radio discussions and a public X Space, we brought data protection into mainstream conversation, meeting people where they are and responding to a growing public appetite for clarity and action.
Building Capacity Beyond Awareness
Across the quarter, our work shifted decisively from awareness to infrastructure:
- Safer Internet Week trainings equipped civil society actors to safeguard children’s data online.
- Young Lawyers for Data Governance engagements nurtured the next generation of digital rights advocates.
- The East Africa Data Governance Conference aligned regional actors around people‑centred, rights‑based data governance.
- Data Governance Cafés unpacked the use and misuse of personal data during election cycles.
- Peer learning sessions created honest spaces for organisations implementing data protection in real-world contexts.
Across these spaces, one principle held firm: protecting data is protecting people.
Children and Young People’s Digital Rights
Youth Are Not Passive Users, They Are Architects
From campus campaigns to national conversations, young people continued to shape Kenya’s digital rights landscape.
The Privacy First graduations marked the growth of a youth‑led movement demanding safer, more accountable digital spaces. Through initiatives like Jua Terms and Scroll Bila Troll, young leaders challenged harmful data practices, confronted online abuse, and reimagined the internet as a shared digital village rooted in dignity.
The movement expanded with new campaigners in Kisumu, strengthening a national network of youth advocates. Safer Internet Day discussions reinforced the need for rights‑based design, platform accountability, and stronger protection of children’s data.
The launch of the 2026 Digital Rights Essay Competition, themed “Voices Online: Courage, Silence and Harassment,” opened yet another space for young people to reflect, imagine, and demand better digital futures.
Global Connections, Shared Purpose
In March, Kenya hosted the Global Better‑Verse 2026, convening over 50 partners and young leaders from around the world. The gathering created space for reflection, collaboration, and renewal, reminding us that sustaining digital rights work requires not only strategy, but community and care.
Looking Ahead
This quarter reaffirmed that progress is possible, but never guaranteed. Court victories must be defended. Laws must be enforced with integrity. Young people must remain at the centre of digital futures.
Technology should expand freedom, not silence it. Data should empower people, not expose them to harm. Digital rights are human rights, and they demand constant defence.
Join us. Sign the petition. Add your voice. Help build a rights‑respecting digital future for Kenya.