Full List Of Freedoms Violated By New Law Ruto Signed on 15/10/2025 As Kenyans Were Mourning Raila

President William Ruto signed into law a controversial new cybercrime bill on October 15, 2025, which critics are warning is a direct assault on the fundamental freedoms of every Kenyan.

The amended Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2024 has been slammed for violating at least four key articles of the Constitution, including the freedom of expression, freedom of the media, the right to fair administrative action, and the right to a fair hearing.

The new legislation introduces sweeping changes that significantly broaden the definition of cyber harassment and grant alarming new powers to government bodies.

The new law now makes it much easier to be charged with cyber harassment. It states that if anything you post online – from a simple tweet to a comment, video, or meme – is considered by authorities to cause "serious emotional distress" or "mental harm," you could be held liable.

This lowers the bar for prosecution and directly threatens Article 33, the Freedom of Expression. Critics argue it will create a chilling effect, forcing Kenyans to self-censor for fear of falling foul of these vague new definitions, regardless of their intent.

The law also grants alarming new powers to a government body called the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NCCCC).

This committee can now order your social media page, website, or app to be blocked in Kenya without needing a court order first.

This is seen as a direct violation of Article 47, which guarantees Fair Administrative Action, as it bypasses the normal legal process of judicial oversight and allows a government committee to act as judge and jury.

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Perhaps most alarmingly, the police can now use a directive from the NCCCC as evidence to arrest you, even before you have had a chance to face a judge.

This has been criticised as a severe violation of Article 50, the Right to a Fair Hearing.

With penalties now increased to a possible KSh 20 million fine and 10 years in jail, the law also poses a major threat to Article 34, the Freedom of the Media, as journalists and bloggers could be targeted and silenced for their investigative work.