The Kenyan government has given social media platform X three months to establish a physical presence in the country.
Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the digital Economy William Kabogo confirmed the directive this week, saying X is currently operating under temporary authorisation while compliance talks continue.
Addressing senators on Wednesday, Kabogo said the requirement forms part of broader efforts to enforce child protection and content moderation standards on platforms with large audiences in Kenya.
"We have committed to dealing with these broadcasters, whether TikTok, Facebook or others. We have also set conditions in their licensing requiring them to have offices here in Kenya so that, in the event of issues arising from their platforms, they can be held accountable here in Kenya,’’ he told the Senate.
‘’And as you remember, Mr Speaker, if I may add, a platform like the one owned by Elon Musk has been given temporary approval to operate in Kenya on condition that within the next three months they establish an office here.”
The announcement signals a material shift in Kenya's regulatory posture toward international technology firms.
Under the expanded framework, the Communications Authority has been granted authority to suspend the operations of digital platforms that breach local rules or fail to comply with directives issued through the country's communications governance structure.
"The Communications Authority, through regulations, has been mandated now to stop operations of those platforms in the event of a breach," Kabogo said.
X is not the only social media platform facing heightened scrutiny. Kabogo referenced TikTok and Meta as companies now subject to the same intensified oversight.
The regulatory intervention arrives at a moment when social platforms have overtaken traditional media as the primary source of news consumption in Kenya.
According to the 2025 State of the Media report published by the Media Council of Kenya, 39 percent of consumers rely on social platforms for news updates, ahead of television at 31 percent and radio at 21 percent.
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