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The Cyber crime bill 2021 adjustment has now gained momentum as it enters second reading.
The bill being sponsored by Garisa town Mp Aden Duale will see it adjusted to make room for additional gags online.
According to the bill ,the amendment states that a person shall not knowingly post porn content using Computer systems,produce the same for distribution or transmit using Computer tools.
“Clause 4 of the Bill has expanded the offence of cyber harassment to provide that a person who, individually or with other persons, willfully communicates, either directly or indirectly, with another person or anyone known to that person, commits an offence, if they know or ought to know that their conduct”,part of the bill reads
At the same time,the amendment proposes that it would be illegal to have pornography in Computer system or any other storage media.
Duales bill also wants a person who publishes or transmit electronic messages that is likely to cause other person’s to join or participate in terrorist activities,commits and offense shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty five year’s or both.
“Possess pornography in a computer system or on a computer data storage medium; commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty-five years, or to both. This penalty is meant to act as deterrent measure,”the bill states.
Duale has also observed that this is a very progressive Bill for anyone who cares for the young people of this country, the public morality, public security and safety of the society.
However On Wednesday 7 July, 2021, six civil society organizations sent an open letter and memorandum to Garissa Township Mp Duale expressing deep concern over the proposed amendments to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (CMCA), 2018 through the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, Access Now, the Bloggers Association of Kenya, Defenders Coalition, the Kenya ICT Action Network and the Kenya Union of Journalists jointly appealed for the immediate withdrawal of the Bill, in its entirety.
