The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has initiated a nationwide monitoring campaign to safeguard children from unsuitable audiovisual content during the long end-of-year school holidays. This three-month campaign, launched on October 28, 2026, will cover online platforms and entertainment venues. The board will collaborate with other agencies to inspect physical venues, including gaming hubs and video-show parlors, while also monitoring social media, broadcasting, and streaming platforms.
The campaign comes as primary and secondary schools closed on October 23, 2026, at the end of Term 3, with learners set to return in January 2027. During the nearly two-month break, regulators warned that increased screen time could raise the risk of children encountering adult content, unrated games, and illegal filming. To mitigate this, KFCB has directed content distributors, broadcasters, exhibitors, video operators, and gaming hub managers to adhere to licensing and content-classification standards.
KFCB will work with other government agencies to intensify monitoring and compliance throughout the holiday season, both online and offline. Field officers will inspect premises where minors could access adult entertainment or unclassified media, while digital teams will monitor content uploaded to public social networks. This multi-faceted approach aims to prevent children from accessing harmful material during the holidays.
In addition to the monitoring campaign, KFCB has urged parents, guardians, and caregivers to take an active role in managing children's digital habits. The board advises parents to engage children in conversations about what they watch, listen to, and encounter online, and to promote educational and family-friendly content. Households are also encouraged to activate parental controls on streaming apps and smart TVs, set firm daily screen-time limits, and restrict access to verified, age-appropriate platforms.
Caregivers are also urged to stay alert to children's peer groups and the places they visit to help prevent related risks, including substance abuse. Kenyan law imposes criminal penalties on individuals and businesses that expose children to harmful material. Under the Children Act, 2022, giving minors access to obscene digital content can result in fines of up to KSh2 million, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offence.
The monitoring campaign and public awareness efforts are part of KFCB's broader mandate to regulate and classify audiovisual content in Kenya. By working with other agencies and engaging with parents and caregivers, the board aims to create a safer environment for children during the school holidays. This initiative also highlights the importance of responsible digital habits and the need for continued collaboration between regulators, industry stakeholders, and the public.
As the holiday season progresses, KFCB will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure compliance with content-classification standards and to prevent children from accessing harmful material. By taking a proactive and multi-faceted approach, the board aims to protect children and promote a culture of responsible digital engagement.
Key points
- KFCB has launched a three-month nationwide monitoring campaign to protect children from age-inappropriate audiovisual content during the long end-of-year school holidays.
- The campaign will cover online platforms and entertainment venues, including TikTok, streaming platforms, and gaming hubs.
- Kenyan law imposes criminal penalties, including fines of up to KSh2 million, imprisonment, or both, on individuals and businesses that expose children to harmful material.
