One in four Kenyan women has experienced online abuse, KNBS survey reveals

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 3 – One in four Kenyan women has experienced online abuse, with a new national survey exposing the scale of technology-facilitated gender-based violence across the country. The 2025/2026 Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey (Mini DHS) found that 26 per cent of women had experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence at some point in their lives, while 21 per cent had faced such abuse in the 12 months preceding the survey. The findings by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) highlight the growing threat of digital harassment targeting women through social media, messaging platforms and other forms of technology. Platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as text messages, were identified among the channels through which the abuse occurred. The report further indicates that current or former husbands and partners are among the alleged perpetrators, alongside strangers and online stalkers. Women in counties including Narok, Kajiado and Samburu recorded some of the highest levels of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, according to the survey. The findings come amid growing concerns over online harassment, cyberstalking and the use of digital platforms to threaten, intimidate or exploit women. Beyond documenting cases of digital abuse, the survey examined public attitudes towards victim-blaming and how communities would respond when they suspected a woman or girl was at risk of violence. The findings underscore the need for stronger digital safety awareness, improved reporting mechanisms and more effective responses to gender-based violence both online and offline. They are expected to inform national and county-level interventions aimed at protecting women and girls from abuse, including violence facilitated by digital technologies.