Child protection advocates are calling for urgent legal and educational reforms to protect children with intellectual disabilities from growing online sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in Kenya.
This follows the release of a new report titled “Understanding Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children with Intellectual Disabilities,” commissioned by ZanaAfrica and partner organizations.
The report highlights a disturbing rise in online abuse cases, with children with intellectual disabilities particularly vulnerable due to low digital literacy, communication barriers, and a trusting nature.
Popular platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook were flagged for exposing children to grooming, explicit content, and scams.“Kenya has seen an upsurge in these violations across all social classes,” said Josephine Kisulu, Dean of Studies at the Kenya Institute of Special Education, urging systemic reforms in education and law to address the crisis.
ZanaAfrica’s Founder, Megan White Mukuria, emphasized the need for a national digital safeguarding platform, building on tools like the Nia Health Link, which has supported over 10,000 users. “Let’s prepare now—before scale becomes crisis,” she warned.
ZanaAfrica Executive Director Beatrice Jane stressed the consequences of neglecting adolescent protection, such as school dropouts, teen pregnancies, and poverty. She highlighted the organization’s partnership with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to embed online safety in schools.
Legal expert Wilson Macharia urged meaningful inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in policy-making and app development, while calling for more research to address the glaring data gap.
Key recommendations from the report include launching nationwide OCSEA awareness campaigns, training teachers with trauma-informed approaches, building parental capacity, and strengthening justice systems.
Stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, Department of Child Services, Judiciary, KICD, and academia attended the launch, signaling a unified front in tackling online abuse.
As Kenya advances in digital adoption, experts warn that inclusive online protection must remain central to national child safety efforts.
