The Coast Social Justice Travelling Theatre (CSJTT) has trained over 100 young human rights activists on cybercrime laws to promote responsible digital activism.
CSJTT Convener and Human Rights Activist, Bradley Ouna said during the training in Mombasa that they are also on a recruitment drive and retooling of practicing rights activists on technology in light of a paradigm shift in activism.
Ouna stated that activism has shifted to social media nowadays and activists must be well-versed in the laws that prevent the misuse of digital platforms.
“We have come to teach them how to use the internet justly and responsibly without infringing on other people’s rights or besmirching others,” he said, adding that the one-day training is designed to equip the nascent Activists with the necessary knowledge to prevent them from being in conflict with the law.
He expounded that the emergence of a new crop of Activists was buoyed by the success of the social media campaign that necessitated the withdrawal of the 2024/2025 budget due to public dissatisfaction.
Ouna noted that most of the emerging Activists are either not aware or are ignorant of the laws governing the use of the internet, leading to violations and arrests by law enforcers.
“Sometimes they share inaccurate information, which leads to issues with law enforcement,” he said.
“We are guiding them through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Data Protection laws, as well as teaching them how to improve the digital hygiene of their devices to guard against cyberattacks.”
Ouna emphasised that the training is timely and crucial, enabling young activists to be more accountable and share accurate, verifiable information.
Christine Kabuya, a young activist, described the training as enlightening, noting that much of today’s governance-related activism takes place online.
“Training on digital security and rights is essential as more people turn to digital platforms to hold leaders accountable,” she said.
Michael Nato, a Career Activist, stated that most of them are exposed because their information can be traced and monitored. He urged the youth to desist from misinforming the public about various government initiatives.
“As Governance Experts, we know we can foster the development of the nation and hold the government to account using accurate information, unlike sharing, for instance, information on the budget with an intent to misinform,” Nato said.
“When the information is followed up, it is found to be misinformation, making activists be deemed incredible,” he added, promising to cascade the teachings to other Activists.
On his part, Japheth Kithi noted that the training will enable them to avoid cybercrime-related offences.
“The training has enabled us to be aware of boundaries by ensuring that we share accurate information on social media platforms, which will enhance our credibility,” he said.
By Sadik Hassan
