Dagoretti North Member of Parliament Beatrice Elachi has strongly spoken out against online abuse, urging young Kenyans, particularly Generation Z, to use social media responsibly and with restraint.
Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Elachi opened up about her personal experiences with cyberbullying and emphasised the urgent need for legal reforms to safeguard individuals from digital harassment.
One of the most painful moments she recalled involved the online abuse she received from Gen Z users following the tragic death of her son, Elvis Namenya.
“My worst experience is when they talked about my son who nobody knew,” Elachi revealed, referencing the cyberbullying that surfaced in the wake of her son’s death and the pain of seeing her private grief turned into public fodder.
Elachi’s comments come at a time when Kenya is experiencing a surge in digital activism, largely driven by Generation Z, who have taken to social media to voice their concerns about governance and accountability.
While she applauded the youth for their energy and civic engagement, she cautioned against blurring the line between activism and abuse.
“Young people have argued they have freedom of expression,” she said. “They have freedom, but it must reach somewhere. That freedom was not meant to step on someone else’s freedom and say it is right. It must have limits.”
She went on to warn that while social media is a powerful tool for communication and accountability, it is increasingly being misused for character assassination and the spread of inappropriate content.
“Social media is good and was meant to build self, but was not meant for Kenyans to send us their nakedness because that’s what they are doing to us,” she lamented. “We will amend the law.”
Calling for legal reforms, Elachi pointed out that there is already an ongoing conversation within government circles about the need to update Kenya’s cyber laws to address the changing digital landscape.
Despite facing online backlash, Elachi reiterated her commitment to supporting young people in constructive ways. “I’m not against them. I want to support them. But I want them to know that support comes with responsibility,” she said.
The MP also delivered an emotionally charged prayer during the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast, where she lamented the state of Kenya’s leadership, institutions and youth.
Terming the country’s young people as ‘helpless’, Elachi linked their struggles to leadership failure, moral decay and systematic failure.
“Father, we have left our country, our young people in helplessness, in gambling, in pornography and it is us to change the laws,” she prayed.
