Africa-Press – Kenya. Nyaribari Chache Member of Parliament Zaheer Jhanda has announced plans to regulate the influence of social media personalities in Kenya.
In his statement on Tuesday, October 28, Jhanda said that he wants the government to limit those who can speak about professional topics on social media.
The lawmaker added that he will sponsor a bill that will regulate influencers to make sure that they have proper qualifications, such as a degree, before they offer advice on important subjects.
He warned that online personalities who speak about law, finance, health, or other professional areas should be qualified and accountable.
“I am borrowing a leaf from one of the most advanced nations – China – with a larger population than ours. I am equally going to sponsor a Bill to regulate Influencers. They must have degrees to talk about professional topics,” he stated.
He warned that these online personalities should be recognised by professional bodies to reduce the spread of misinformation in the country.
“We cannot have a Country where everyone is an expert. They must be recognised by professional bodies such as the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), and the Media Council of Kenya (MCK),” he added.
He pointed to recent moves by China to tighten rules and regulations for online creators by requiring proof of qualifications for people who speak on sensitive topics, arguing that Kenya should learn from that example and act now to stop the spread of wrong information online.
According to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the new rule was effective on October 25, 2025, affecting how influencers conduct themselves online.
The new rule dictate that influencers should prove their expertise, such as a degree, a professional license, or certification, if they want to post or talk about sensitive topics such as law, education, finance and medicine online.
Influencers are to clearly state when informed by studies or when their videos use AI-generated content.
They are banned from advertising medical products, supplements and health foods to prevent covert promotions disguised as educational content.
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