Kenya Wants X to Open a Local Office Within Three Months

Kenya’s government has told social platform X to establish operations inside the country within the next three months as regulators move to tighten oversight of international technology firms serving Kenyan users.

ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said the company owned by Elon Musk had been allowed to continue operating under temporary authorization while discussions on compliance continue. According to Kabogo, maintaining services in Kenya will now require the platform to maintain a local office that can interface directly with authorities.

Addressing senators on Wednesday, the minister linked the requirement to concerns around online abuse, harmful content and child protection enforcement. He said the government wants digital platforms handling large Kenyan audiences to fall within local legal reach instead of operating entirely from abroad.

“We are taking action by having them here in Kenya and being subjected to our laws and measures that are there to protect our children,” Kabogo told the Senate.

The remarks form part of a wider government effort targeting major social media companies over accountability and content moderation. Kabogo said Kenyan regulators have been granted authority to suspend digital platforms that fail to comply with local rules or directives issued through the country’s communications framework.

Alongside X, he referenced TikTok and Meta as companies now facing increased regulatory scrutiny.

“The Communications Authority, through regulations, has been mandated now to stop operations of those platforms in the event of a breach,” he said.

The policy push arrives as social media becomes the dominant source of news consumption in Kenya. Data from the 2025 State of the Media report released by the Media Council of Kenya showed 39 percent of consumers rely on social platforms for news updates. Television followed at 31 percent, while radio accounted for 21 percent.

Requiring a local office could create additional obligations for multinational platforms operating in Kenya, including faster responses to government requests, legal notices and content-related investigations. It may also increase pressure on technology companies that have expanded across African markets without establishing country-based regulatory teams.

X has not publicly responded to the timeline outlined by the ICT ministry.

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