By Dawan Africa - Reporter
Nairobi(Mogadishu24)-Prominent Kenyan businessman Bob Ndolo, the CEO of Bridget Connect Consultancy company, has filed a petition with the parliament seeking to have Tiktok banned in Kenya.
In Tuesday’s parliamentary session, the Speaker of the Kenyan Parliament, Mr. Moses Wetangula, announced, “I wish to report to the house that my office has received a petition from Mr. Bob Ndolo, the Executive Officer of the Bridget Connect Consultancy, regarding the banning of TikTok in Kenya.”
The petitioner argues that the application promotes explicit contents, hate speech, and indecent behaviours that are against the cultural and religious norms in Kenya. He further accused the application of infringing privacy rights.
“The petition decries that while it has gained popularity among the youths in Kenya, the content that is being shared on the platform is inappropriate thus promoting violence, explicit sexual content, hate speech, vulgar language, and offensive behavior which is a serious threat to the cultural and religious views of Kenya,” the speaker said.
According to the petitioner, TikTok will contribute mental health risks to addicted youth and minors, leading to a decline in academic performance.
“The petitioner is also concerned that if the platform is not prohibited in Kenya, the Apps addictive nature will lead to a decline in academic performances and ascend in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation among the youth,” stated Mr. Wetangula.
The petitioner further criticized the Communications Authority of Kenya for failing to regulate online applications, particularly TikTok, which promotes inappropriate or explicit content.
The Speaker of the Parliament has submitted the petition to the Public Petitions Committee, stating, “I hereby commit the Public Petitions Committee for considerations pursuant to Standing Order 208 A.”
This petition came due to public outcry over the increased usage of TikTok by minors and the illegal activities occurring within the application.
Residents of Wajir County, including community leaders and religious scholars, have shown robust support for the petition presented to the parliament, highlighting that it will help curb indecency within the community.
Sadia Maalim, a mother in Wajir County, expressed her concerns about the misuse of the application by minors, particularly the school-going children.
"Now, along the Wajir-Mandera highway where the tarmac road ends, you will witness taxi drivers taking underage girls there and recording videos with them. Specifically, girls under 17 and under 18 are involved in recording inappropriate videos that are later uploaded to the application," Ms. Saadia stated.
She narrated her first time encounter with Tiktok when an inappropriate video appeared on the application.
"I had never used TikTok before, but one day, I came across the application and opened it. I saw a young man pouring water into his mouth and then exchanging it with a young girl using mouth-to-mouth interaction. It was something very disturbing, and that was my first and last experience with the application," she added.
"I support this petition and strongly urge the TikTok application to be banned entirely in Kenya due to the harmful actions it promotes," she said.
