Kenya Pushes Elon Musk’s X to Launch Local Office Within 3 Months

Kenya has told Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, to open a physical office in the country within three months or risk losing permission to operate.

ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo announced the directive before the Senate on 13 May. He said X had received temporary approval to continue operating in Kenya, but this would depend on the company establishing local offices. 

The government says the requirement is part of a wider effort to hold international digital platforms accountable under Kenyan law, particularly on issues involving harmful content, misinformation, and child safety. Kabogo said a local presence would improve enforcement and create a direct channel for resolving disputes. 

He told senators that the government wanted digital platforms to operate within Kenya’s legal framework and comply with measures intended to protect children from cyberbullying and inappropriate material online. Under new regulations, the Communications Authority of Kenya has been given broader powers to suspend platforms including TikTok, Facebook, and X if they fail to follow official directives or violate Kenyan law. 

Kabogo said global platforms would no longer be allowed to operate remotely without direct oversight from local authorities. The changes come as social media becomes the leading source of news for many Kenyans. 

According to the Media Council of Kenya’s State of the Media Report 2025, 39 percent of people now rely on social platforms for news, ahead of television at 31 percent, radio at 21 percent, and newspapers at 1 percent.