The Police department and Judiciary are working on a plan that will see members of the public protected from wanton social media bullying that has in some cases bruised prominent personalities.
In what could be a huge relief to 'socialites', majority of whom are the soft targets of these attacks, security agents and Judicial officers have been on a four-day training on how to effectively deal with cybercrime and online gender-based violence.
The training sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB) targeted high ranking officers within the directorate of criminal investigations and public prosecutors from across the country. The trainees have been empowered to capture cyber-criminals as well as prevent cybercrime.
Kenya has experienced increased incidents of cyberbullying especially targeted towards entertainment personalities such as “socialites” for the lifestyles they lead.
The anonymity of the internet has fuelled cyberbullying especially through social media sites Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where the term has evolved to take up new names such as trolling and roasting.
According to a survey conducted by African Development Bank, the police are ill-prepared to handle cases of technology-based violence despite online attacks on women and girls being rampant in Kenya.
Now AfDB has set out to effectively address this gap and equip police with skills in digital forensics. These capabilities, AfDB says will increase their analytical and technical capabilities, enabling police to deter and prosecute offenders.
The use of technology and social media is a great part of the course, boosting knowledge and awareness on how law enforcement agents can act against perpetrators of cyber-based gender violence.
