The Kenyan Minister of Information and Communications, Joe Mucheru (pictured), announced that the government will create in the coming weeks a data commissioner to improve privacy protection on the Internet.

“Our goal is to protect people’s privacy,” the minister said on June 21, a week after the Education Minister George Magoha denounced the ease with which school children now have access to pornography via the Internet.

Joe Mucheru asked the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to present within seven days a clear roadmap on how to train Internet users and ensure that Kenyan cyberspace is safe. He called on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ensure that the many young people who are now learning online are protected on the Internet and that parents can control how their children use the Internet.

The minister said that on the government side, actions have already been taken to teach young people how to use the Internet smartly. More than 5,000 young people are currently being trained through the Ajira program. Initiated by the Ministry of ICT, the program is designed to empower trainees to access online job opportunities.