Kenyan businessman and public figure Khalif Kairo has issued a stark warning over the growing spread of misinformation in the country, describing it as a “time bomb” with the potential to destabilize Kenya if left unchecked.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the Tubonge podcast, Kairo argued that while freedom of expression remains a core democratic value, the unchecked circulation of false information poses a serious risk to national security and public order.
“We are sitting on a time bomb as a country, and there’s so much misinformation out there that at one point — take this to the bank — it has the potential to destabilize the country,” Kairo said.
While acknowledging that Kenya is a free society, Kairo questioned whether absolute freedom without safeguards could ultimately undermine the very systems that protect citizens.
“It’s a free world, and you need to have freedom of expression,” he said. “But how will you protect your freedom if you cannot protect the country itself, if you cannot protect the system?”
During the discussion, Kairo argued that misinformation does not exist in a vacuum, warning that persistent online narratives that question state legitimacy or promote instability can gradually erode trust in institutions. According to him, this erosion creates conditions where even constitutional protections become ineffective.
“What protects Kenyans is the Constitution,” he said. “But if you create an atmosphere of lies, an atmosphere of instability, an atmosphere of chaos, even the Constitution, when you need it to protect you, will not protect you, because you already undermined the state.”
Kairo pushed back against what he described as resistance from activists who oppose any form of regulation on speech, often citing freedom of expression. He suggested that such arguments fail to consider the long-term consequences of allowing misinformation to spread unchecked.
“Activists are always up in arms — freedom of expression, this and that,” he said. “But if the country collapses, what freedom are you protecting?”
“Look at Sudan. Look at countries surrounded by military. Some people can’t even get fuel,” he said. “This is what happens when systems collapse.”
Kairo claimed that online conversations can sometimes go beyond criticism and enter dangerous territory, where individuals deliberately “push” narratives that encourage instability or undermine governance.
“You see people pushing about destabilizing governments. It’s all these conversations online — peddling misinformation, peddling lies,” he said.
Despite his strong stance, Kairo stopped short of outlining what form “control” should take, instead emphasising the need for balance between freedoms and responsibility.
“I feel that there needs to be control,” he said, without calling for the removal of free expression entirely. “It’s the same way laws exist to protect order.
“If you undermine the state,” he warned, “eventually, it won’t be there to protect you.”
