Kenya has given X owner Elon Musk three months to establish a local office in the country or risk suspension of the platform, escalating regulatory pressure on global social media companies over rising concerns about cyberbullying, deepfakes, and sexually explicit content.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo delivered the ultimatum to the Senate, confirming that X currently operates in Kenya under a temporary licence tied to the compliance condition.
“They must operate subject to our local laws,” Kabogo told lawmakers.
The requirement is part of a broader push targeting other major platforms including Meta Platforms and TikTok, with authorities arguing that a local office presence improves accountability and speeds up responses to user complaints and regulatory enforcement. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) has been empowered to act against non-compliant platforms, including through suspension.
Lawmakers raised concern over rising online harassment and the growing circulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated manipulated media, commonly known as deepfakes, alongside explicit content that poses growing risks to younger users.
The directive carries particular weight across Africa. Musk closed Twitter’s Ghana office following his 2022 acquisition of the platform as part of global cost cutting measures. X later established a legal presence in Nigeria only after regulators imposed a seven-month suspension of the service in that country.
TikTok has already opened a Nairobi office following parliamentary pressure over explicit content concerns. Lawmakers had initially pushed for a ban before settling on stricter content moderation and compliance requirements.
Kenya’s move places it in a potential regulatory standoff with Musk, whose estimated fortune of about $826 billion comfortably exceeds the country’s annual economic output.
