Posts falsely claim Kenya has prohibited the use of TikTok and Telegram

“Kenya has banned Telegram and TikTok (sic),” reads a post published on X, formerly known as Twitter, on August 22, 2023.

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Screenshot showing the false tweet, taken on August 29, 2023

The claim followed a petition to Kenya's parliament on August 16, 2023 urging lawmakers to ban the popular video-sharing platform in the country (archived here).

The petitioner, identified as Bob Ndolo, argued that TikTok contributed to the erosion of cultural and religious morals in the country by serving up content that was violent, sexually explicit, vulgar and hateful.

Similar claims were also shared elsewhere on X, Facebook and TikTok.

TikTok, owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, is facing intense scrutiny across the globe due to privacy and security concerns.

However, Kenyan authorities have not banned TikTok and Telegram in the country.

Hoax information

“Kenya has not banned TikTok and Telegram,” the CAK told AFP Fact Check on August 29, 2023.

The regulator added that national assembly speaker Moses Wetangula had tasked the Communication, Information and Innovation Parliamentary Committee to deliberate on the petition and present its findings and recommendations to parliament as soon as possible.

AFP also reported that parliament is due to investigate the use of TikTok in Kenya and a decision is expected in about two months (achieved here).

The petition prompted a call between Kenyan President William Ruto and TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew, who committed to ensuring that content would be moderated to meet community standards.

AFP Fact Check reporters based in Nairobi were still able to access TikTok and Telegram in Kenya on August 30, 2023.

Meanwhile, Kenya's neighbour Somalia announced on August 20, 2023 that it was banning TikTok, Telegram and an online betting site, claiming that the platforms were being used by terrorist groups (archived here).