By Cherie Oyier,
KICTANet had a productive meeting with the Belgium Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Peter Maddens on 19th March 2025. KICTANet’s key agenda was to discuss key digital rights challenges that have arisen in Kenya since its last human rights records review by the United Nations Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.
Ahead of the review of Kenya’s human rights record in the forthcoming 4th cycle of the UPR in May 2025, KICTANet submitted a joint stakeholder report at the UPR pre-sessions that took place in Geneva in February this year.
Among the digital rights issues discussed with the Belgium ambassador to Kenya included:
- Arbitrary internet shutdowns and restrictions that have a direct impact on the right to freedom of expression and access to information, education, healthcare, among other rights. This is in view of the fact that Kenya’s government has positioned itself as a digital government hence most public services are now digitised.
- The targeting of media freedoms both online and offline and right to freedom of assembly especially during the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests. This was done by the use of technology to surveil and harass protesters through arbitrary arrests.
On a partnership and cooperation level, KICTANet and Ambassador Madden had an extensive discussion on areas of synergy such as artificial governance (AI) and internet governance, knowledge sharing opportunities and the realities of development funding for Kenya and Africa as a whole.
A fun fact that we learnt is that the ambassador is a Saint Mary’s School alumni!
