Youths urged to use online platforms responsibly

Magarini Deputy County Commissioner Peter Thiong’o has urged the youth to responsibly use the internet to avoid being conned, radicalized or recruited into terrorist formations.

Mr. Thiong’o told the youth to instead use the internet to get online jobs and earn a living without resorting to criminal activities.

He was speaking outside the Marafa chief’s office in Magarini Sub County during celebrations to mark this year’s Safer Internet Day, a day observed on the second day of the second week of February every year with the aim of providing a safer and better internet where every user uses the internet responsibly and without getting their data leaked.

The celebrations were organized by various the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs in conjunction with tech company Huawei and Close the Gap Kenya, a social enterprise that aims to bridge the digital gap.

Huawei, through its Computer for Schools programme, is also running a digital truck computer training programme at the Magarini Sub County Headquarters in Marafa town where the youth are learning basic computer skills, online jobs and safe use of the internet.

The administrator said although the internet had revolutionized communication in the world, it had exposed many young people to safety challenges due to lack of knowledge on how to properly use communication gadgets such as the mobile phone and laptop computers.

He told the youth not be influenced by politicians to use the internet to propagate hate speech and violence, saying that amounted to cybercrime and those involved would be dealt with according to the law.

He urged them to verify all information with relevant government agencies before posting it online in order to remain safe and avoid breaking the law.

Ms Francisca Muema of Close the Gap Kenya lamented that many young people were being cheated online through identity theft.

“A key issue especially at the Coastal region is that of radicalization where young people are recruited at the grassroots to join illegal groups,” she said.

“As we celebrate the Safer Internet Day, we are urging our youths to be keen by working closely with agencies to ensure that any information they share online has been verified.”

Mr. Ian Korir, who coordinates the Computer for Schools programme at the Huawei office in Kenya, said his company was using the mobile digital truck programme to impart digital skills to the youth, including safe usage of the internet.

“So far, we have been able to train 60 students on basic and intermediate digital skills which have enabled them to learn how to be safe on the internet as well as doing jobs online through the Ajira Programme being run by the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs,” Mr. Koris said.

He said the digital truck programme had already covered 15 counties since it started in 2019 and was targeting to reach all the counties to give an opportunity to the youth is rural areas to gain digital skills.

Happy Mkambe Nzala, a beneficiary of the digital truck, said she had learnt many digital skills that would enable her to run her cyber café business better and to be safe while serving her customers.