CA Celebrates Creativity and Digital Safety at the Kenya Music Festivals
The ongoing 98th Kenya Music Festivals has presented an opportunity for government agencies and corporate sector companies to enhance public awareness and advocacy through class sponsorship.
The Communications Authority of Kenya, CA, is among the government agencies leveraging on the occasion to create awareness for a secure and inclusive digital environment that protects children from cyberbullying, exploitation, harmful content, misinformation, scams and privacy violations. To Kenya’s ICT sector regulator, the Festivals are an important consumer education and empowerment platform, with the Authority sponsoring the theme ‘Child Online Protection and Safe Use of the Internet’ as part of its Child Online Protection Programme.
Mr. David Mugonyi, the Director General CA said that the introduction of classes 3030J and 3030K on Building a Positive Digital Identity for learners with disabilities, support for the KS 2952 ICT Accessibility Standards, and the promotion of assistive technologies, illustrates the Authority continued commitment to expanding meaningful digital access opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.
“We are pleased that this year's festival includes themes such as productive use of the Internet, online safety and etiquette, building a positive digital identity, "Click Smart, Stay Safe," and identifying genuine mobile phones. These initiatives equip learners, teachers, parents, and communities with practical digital safety skills, encouraging responsible online behavior, the protection of personal information, and critical thinking before clicking or sharing online content,” said Mr. Mugonyi.
Additionally, he said, through the Universal Service Fund, broadband connectivity has been extended to underserved schools and communities, while partnerships with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Kenya Institute of the Blind (KIB) have enabled the digitization of educational content, ensuring wider access for all learners.
With Kenya recording over 62 million mobile data subscriptions, 52 million smartphones connected to mobile networks and a mobile penetration rate of 157 percent, young people are increasingly using digital platforms to create music, produce content, access learning opportunities and share ideas. While these opportunities continue to expand, it is equally important that learners use the Internet safely and responsibly.
Through songs about online kindness, poems on the impact of cyberbullying, and plays that teach about responsible use of the internet, learners participating in CA’s sponsored theme are not simply memorizing messages, they are exploring responsible internet use, digital citizenship and online safety in ways that are engaging, relatable and memorable. Through creative expression, the Authority is transforming important safety messages into lessons that young people can understand, practice and share within their schools, families, and communities.
An informed child is a safer digital consumer, better equipped to protect personal information, identify online risks, use digital services responsibly, and contribute positively to online communities.
Online safety is a shared responsibility, and by bringing these conversations into one of Kenya's most influential education and cultural platforms, the Kenya Music Festival is helping to nurture a generation that is not only creative and innovative, but also digitally resilient and responsible.
This approach reflects the Authority's commitment to safeguarding the interests of ICT consumers towards a safer, resilient, and thriving digital economy.