Parents and guardians have been urged to stay informed of the latest trends in cyberspace to better protect children from online predators.
Communications Authority of Kenya chairman Kembi Gitura said this would be a good way to stop the cyber-harassment of children.
He spoke on Thursday at the CA headquarters during the launch of phase two of the Child Online Protection Campaign.
"We must be vigilant and keep abreast of online trends. By doing so, we are able to know what interactions our children are engaging in online and we will be in a better position to protect our children," he said.
He asked all stakeholders to take responsibility for children's online safety as cybercrimes had skyrocketed by 37.7 per cent during the pandemic, according to the Economic Survey 2021.
As schools close for the holidays across the country this week, parents and guardians are faced with the task of protecting children at home.
One major concern for parents today is protecting children from the dangers that lurk online, especially while they surf the web unsupervised.
Children are exposed to bullying (public shaming, insulting, or trolling), hacking, stalking and anything meant to cause harm to users online.
The campaign's theme, Hauwezi Tucheza, Tuko Cybersmart, aims to equip children with skills to navigate online spaces.
Gitura urged stakeholders to go to homes, schools and even churches to ensure every child is reached with the campaign information.
In 2015, the regulatory authority launched the first phase of the campaign dubbed, Be The Cop.
It created awareness among parents, guardians and teachers on the importance of online safety for children, as well as information on how to handle cases of cybercrime targeting children.
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta launched the campaign at the CA headquarters in Nairobi.
She lauded the Ministry of ICT and the Communications Authority for their efforts to protect children online.
"I thank you for demonstrating a commitment to your roles as regulators of the information sector and fulfilling your mandate to protect consumers in cyberspace," she said.
She said the second phase of the campaign was meant to enhance the confidence of younger users as they engage on the Internet.
"This campaign targets our youth with the aim of giving them advice and empowering them to be their own defenders and ambassadors. It enables them to participate safely and effectively as citizens of the world," she said.
Chief Justice Martha Koome was also present at the launch and she promised, as president of the Judiciary, to help keep children safe online.
Justice Koome said the Judiciary would play its role of ensuring child victims of cybercrimes get the justice they deserve as the law provides protection for them online.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru called on parents and guardians to be vigilant to protect children from cybercrimes.
"Harm on the internet usually comes to our children in innocent-looking ways. We must therefore be vigilant so we can identify these various ways," he said.
Edited by Henry Makori
