The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) is a

community association A community association is a nongovernmental association of participating members of a community, such as a neighborhood, village, condominium, cooperative, or group of homeowners or property owners in a delineated geographic area. Participation ...

of Kenyan

bloggers A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

and content creators that promotes online content creation and free expression in Kenya. Formed in 2011, the association also carries out trainings and organises the annual BAKE Awards where leading content creators are awarded. The first BAKE Awards was held in 2012 and by May 2017, featured 23 categories. BAKE also runs , a program that promotes human rights and media rights. documents important occurrences affecting

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...

and engagement. It also engages in

public interest litigation The chief instrument through which judicial activism has flourished in India is public interest litigation (PIL) or social action litigation (SAL). ''Public interest litigation'' (PIL) refers to litigation undertaken to secure public interest and de ...

, policy intervention, advocacy and training.

State of the Internet Reports

Since 2015, BAKE produces an annual State of the Internet Report. The reports document significant events in

digital rights Digital rights are those human rights and legal rights that allow individuals to access, use, create, and publish digital media or to access and use computers, other electronic devices, and telecommunications networks. The concept is partic ...

and the internet in Kenya. The 2017 report covered the ways in which the internet played a leading role in the

2017 Kenyan general election General elections were held in Kenya on 8 August 2017 to elect the President, members of the National Assembly and Senate. They coincided with the 2017 Kenyan local elections which elected Governors and representatives in the devolved govern ...

. It also covered fears that there would be an internet shutdown during the election, as well as a significant case where the charge of criminal defamation was ruled unconstitutional. It also covered cases of

cyberbullying Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital ...

, focusing on the suicide of a 29-year-old woman who had been bullied on Facebook.

Litigation

In February 2018, BAKE moved to court seeking conservatory orders freezing criminal proceedings against Paul Ongili ( Babu Owino), the then Member of Parliament for

Embakasi Embakasi is a neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is approximately , southeast of the central business district. Embakasi is considered part of Nairobi's Eastlands area, lying to the south-east of Nairobi County. The Embakasi proper cover ...

East. BAKE questioned the validity of sections 77 and 94 of the Penal Code, saying that they violate the right to freedom of expression. Ongili had been charged with the offence of subversion and offensive conduct for a speech he made in Dagoretti North on 24 September 2017.

Leadership

The current chair of BAKE is Kennedy Kachwanya. Other members of the association include James Wamathai (Director, Partnerships), Jane Muthoni (General Manager), Victoria Wangui (Digital Communications Manager), Monica Ng'ang'a (accountant), and Ansel Melly (IT Manager).

References

{{Reflist 2011 establishments in Kenya Freedom of expression organizations Kenyan bloggers