Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has called for the arrest of sections of TikTokers over alleged harassment after their videos went viral on social media.
Passaris, who has developed a knack for using social media to express her opinions on social issues, called out young TikTok users who were allegedly harassing pedestrians in the name of content creation.
The lawmaker specifically flagged a video showing two young content creators attempting to interact with a female pedestrian, who was unwilling to engage in what looked like a prank.
Despite openly declining to engage, the boys proceeded with their antics, sparking social media outrage.
"It is shocking that such acts are being viewed as entertainment. I can not begin to imagine the trauma a girl goes through in such an ordeal," Passaris said.
She went on, "I am calling on the DCI to apprehend these boys immediately. Let this serve as a warning to anyone who assaults another person, especially under the guise of content creation. Enough is enough."
Passaris proceeded to defend the contentious amendments to the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2024, stating that part of the reason the act needed to be passed was to regulate content being put on social media.
Under the Kenyan Penal Code and the Sexual Offences Act, unlawfully touching another person without their consent is considered assault and can warrant imprisonment for up to one year.
Section 144 of the penal code also stipulates that non-consensual touching of a sexual nature on a woman is a serious felony, punishable by imprisonment for up to five years.
With the law in mind, the content creators could find themselves in legal trouble, particularly since the action was performed as content for social media.
Only a few weeks ago, two TikTok creators found themselves on the wrong side of the law after their video went viral. In the video, they appeared to stamp on the Kenyan flag, sparking outrage.
In a separate incident, a city businessman-cum-TikToker was arrested in July by plain-clothed detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation for allegedly posting a TikTok video inciting violence against police officers.
