Kenyan Parents Speak Out on Online Safety

Final Word

At the heart of our Also Online campaign are conversations: 

Families should have open conversations where children feel comfortable sharing their worries—including those about their online experiences. Parents should feel confident in helping their children recognize and deal with risks, both on and offline. These discussions should also help everyone in the family set clear boundaries for appropriate behavior and relationships with friends, relatives, and others, whether in person or online.

Additionally, parents and children should work together to demand that technology companies and governments create and enforce safer digital environments for kids, rather than putting profits first.

The internet has the potential to be a safe and positive place for children to learn, connect, and have fun. By supporting research and developing solutions in partnership with children, parents, and families, we can make the online world safer for everyone’s children. 

Together, we can make the online world safer for all children.

Trust Is the Cornerstone

One of the most powerful tools parents have is trust—creating a home environment where children feel safe to speak up.

That trust doesn’t come from fear or punishment, but from open conversations, respectful curiosity, and genuine presence.

This includes

1. Government action to regulate content and enforce age restrictions

2. Schools integrating digital safety into the curriculum

3. Telecoms and tech platforms doing more to flag and block exploitative content.

What Kenyan Parents Are Doing Right Now

Despite the challenges, many Kenyan parents are stepping up to protect their children. Their strategies include:

• Monitoring children's online use discreetly, especially at night

• Checking in regularly with their children

• Joining community groups to learn more about online risks

Having open conversations about digital safety and online grooming

"I advise parents and communities to attend online safety seminars whenever they hear about them.”

The need for proactive learning and engagement is clear. Many parents are calling for more local workshops and support systems to help them stay one step ahead.

What More Needs to Happen?

Kenyan parents are not asking to do this alone. They are calling on other stakeholders to take action too:

“There must be a strong partnership between organizations like Terre des Hommes, Childline, and the government—to propose regulatory frameworks that rein in these social media sites.”

In a world where smartphones are a part of everyday life, even for children, Kenyan parents are navigating a new reality: raising children in the digital age. The internet brings benefits, but also opens the door to serious risks, including online child sexual exploitation (OSCE).

Through their words and lived experiences, Kenyan parents are shedding light on the complex challenges and sharing powerful insights into what works, and what needs to change.

A New Kind of Parenting Challenge

Across Kenya, families use the internet for activities ranging  from WhatsApp messaging and watching football clips on TikTok, to streaming cartoons on YouTube. But as digital access grows, so do concerns.

“Children may sit by themselves, go online, and come across those bad things.”

Some parents have discovered these risks in shocking ways—after it’s too late. One mother, despite being educated and aware, shared how her child was groomed online by a stranger posing as a friend.

“Even I am empowered, yes, but I didn’t know it could reach that far.”

This story is not an isolated case. These experiences reveal a critical gap: even informed, attentive parents can be caught off guard by the dangers hiding behind screens.