Kenya: High Court Nullifies Sections of Cybercrimes Law Allowing Website Blocking Without Court Orders

Kenya: High Court Nullifies Sections of Cybercrimes Law Allowing Website Blocking Without Court Orders

Nairobi -- The High Court has declared unconstitutional key provisions of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 that granted a State committee powers to block websites and online platforms without prior approval from the courts.

Kenya's High Court Strikes Down Website Blocking Powers and Vague Suicide Speech Law

Kenya’s High Court has stripped a government committee of its power to block websites without a judge’s sign off, and thrown out a criminal offence that rights groups warned could jail people for online speech based on nothing more than speculation. Justice Patricia Nyaundi delivered the ruling on 2 July 2026 at the Milimani High [...] The post Kenya’s High Court Strikes Down Website Blocking Powers and Vague Suicide Speech Law appeared first on…

High Court strikes down State website-blocking powers in Cybercrimes Act

Judge warns law enabled prior restraint without court oversight.

High court of Kenya declares sections of Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act unconstitutional

Milimani High Court of Kenya has declared sections of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime (Amendment) Act that empower the National Computer Coordination Committee to block websites illegal. Judge Patricia Nyaundi on Thursday, July 2, 2026, declared section 6(1)(j)(a) and section 27(1)(b) of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Amendment Act unconstitutional.   “Section 6 (1) (j) (a) and section 27 (1) (b) of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Am…

Kenyan High Court bars government from shutting down websites without court order

A Kenyan high court has ruled that government authorities lack the power to shut down websites without a court order authorising such action. This comes after the court nullified a major part of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2025.  In a ruling delivered on Thursday following a series of petitions against the revised law filed by Kenyan pressure groups, the court explained that allowing government agencies absolute powers t…

Court blocks cybercrime law allowing website blocking without court orders

The High Court Friday struck down sections of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, that allowed a state committee to order the blocking of websites and online applications without first obtaining court approval. Justice Patricia Mande Nyaundi declared Section 6(1)(j)(a) unconstitutional, saying it gave excessive powers to the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee and infringed on constitutional protection…