Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African organization that advocates for digital rights and inclusion, has joined hands with Kenya’s media regulator, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), to conduct digital security training for bloggers in the country.
The three-day training saw 30 bloggers from the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) equipped with essential tools and practices to protect their online presence, safeguard sensitive information, and ensure responsible and secure digital communication.
Paradigm Initiative Senior Manager Grants and Programmes Strategy Adeboye Adegoke, stressed the importance of the training, adding that the organization has developed several resources, including digital security toolkits, namely Ayeta and Ripoti, for use by various stakeholders.
The organization, he added, is also keen on influencing policies, undertaking strategic litigation, and proactively collaborating with election stakeholders across Africa to sensitize citizens on digital rights ahead of general elections under its Digital Rights and Elections in Africa Meetings (DREAM) Initiative.
MCK Assistant Director of Training and Curriculum Development Christine Nguku said the training is intended to help improve bloggers’ skills in generating content, securing themselves, and securing their content.
“Over the last ten years, internet content generation has become a big thing that takes a large space in the media industry, and because of that, there is a need for us to create skills for us to nurture that talent and to grow it so that it becomes a financial aspect of livelihood. Young people today are using the internet to make money, generating content using their brains, sharing experiences and opinions with others,” Ms Nguku explained.
BAKE is a community association of Kenyan bloggers and content creators that promotes online content creation and free expression in Kenya. Blogging and content creation is becoming a way of making a livelihood for numerous individuals globally.
The digital security training provided targeted training and resources to address the challenges faced by bloggers in Kenya. By empowering them with practical digital security techniques and awareness, they will be better equipped to protect their online identities, preserve the privacy of their sources, and ensure the integrity and accuracy of their published content.
Paradigm Initiative’s East Africa Programme Officer Miriam Beatrice revealed that besides bloggers, the organization is keen on working with MCK to empower various target groups with digital security training.
BAKE Chairman Kennedy Kachwanya said cybersecurity has in the recent past been an issue in Kenya, and digital security is instrumental in enabling bloggers and content creators to share insights on how individuals, organizations, and the country can be secure.