The petitioner Bob Ndolo who is seeking to ban TikTok in Kenya will face the Parliamentary Public Petitions Committee over the ban petition.
Ndolo, an executive officer of the Bridge Connect Consultancy, is required to provide the information necessary to facilitate consideration of the petition.
In a letter dated September 18, 2023, by the National Assembly Clerk, he will face the committee at the boardroom within the parliamentary building on Tuesday at 11 am.
On August 15, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula received the petition seeking to ban TikTok in Kenya.
Wetang'ula, while speaking in parliament, said his office received the petition.
“The petitioner has decried that the content that is being shared on the social media platform is inappropriate and is promoting violence, vulgar language, explicit sexual content, hate speech which is a serious threat to the cultural and religious values in Kenya," the petition read.
On August 24, President William Ruto said TikTok had agreed to moderate content on its app in Kenya.
This was after the parliament received a petition to ban the popular video-sharing platform.
Ruto’s office in a statement after a call with TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew agreed to review and monitor its content due to privacy and security concerns.
In his petition, Ndolo also alleged that TikTok has collected data of its users including information about the device being used to access the platform, and the location of its users, including browsing history.
"The platform has shared information about its users with the third party company without users' consent," he claimed.
Ndolo stated that if the app is not banned in Kenya, TikTok's addictive nature would lead to a decline in academic performance, and lead to mental health issues, depression, anxiety, and sleep deprivation among the youth.
"The petitioner wants the house to intervene, and take immediate action and safeguard Kenyans from TikTok's negative effects."
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah said many of the parliamentary members are on TikTok and there is nothing wrong with being on the platform.
"We cannot as a House preside over banning any app, we cannot fight with technology. Ndolo should have petitioned the house to look at ways to regulate the use of these apps, and how the ICT department will be able to regulate the content," he said.
"Outright banning would be killing careers. The government now appreciates this as an industry where we can raise revenues. We just need to regulate."
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi said he is of the view that in this digital age, Kenya cannot operate in isolation.
"We are living in difficult times where unemployment levels are high. Our youth are looking for opportunities for employment," Wandayi said.
"As a country which is responsible, we should be looking for other apps to help them create content and earn a living."
Prior to the petition, Kenyans have in recent days raised alarm over content that the youth are sharing on the social media platform.
Most of the users had taken advantage of the live section to talk to their followers, by either sharing adult content, inappropriate messages, and to a further extent, bullying others.