Uganda’s children online: Are we keeping them safe?
Uganda’s children deserve to be both smart and safe online. We cannot afford to give them one without the other, writes Barbara Kaija
Barbara Kaija. (File)
____________
OPINION
A child sits quietly in a corner of the house, phone in hand. She could be watching a science lesson, chatting with classmates or searching for help with homework.
Everything appears normal but what if the person sending her messages is not who they claim to be? What if a friendly conversation becomes a demand for an inappropriate photograph, a threat or blackmail? Would she recognise the danger? Would she tell an adult?
These questions concern Ugandan homes.
A June 2025 report by Digital Rights Alliance Africa, Child Protection and Safety Online in Africa, cites research suggesting that approximately four in ten internet-using Ugandan children aged 12 to 17 have experienced forms of online sexual exploitation, including unwanted sexual requests and threats.
Though the figure is about children who use the internet and not all children, it is still worrisome and it demands attention. Other research cited in the report found cyberstalking affecting 33 per cent of child internet users and cyberbullying 20 per cent.
Each statistic represents a child’s wellbeing.
Uganda’s own evidence makes this question uncomfortable.
In a local survey conducted for the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in 2019–2020, researchers interviewed 2,766 children and 834 parents or guardians across ninety-six districts. Just over half the children reported seeing sexual images during the previous year, including through media beyond the internet. Some 41.7 per cent had communicated online with someone they had never met face to face.
Most strikingly, 85.3 per cent said they never or hardly ever told a parent about things that upset them online.
Only 34 per cent of the interviewed parents were certain their child used the internet. The survey focused on internet-using children and leaned towards older, urban respondents, so it should not be mistaken for the current national prevalence estimate. Since UCC conducted the six-year-old survey before the COVID-19 school closures, when online learning expanded, the figures could be higher and the gap it exposes is instructive.
We may know our children’s schools, teachers and friends, yet know little about whom they meet online.
Her message captures the balance: embrace progress without neglecting safety.
Many parents are learning applications their children already navigate confidently. Others lack time, devices or affordable data. Children may fear embarrassment, punishment or losing their phones if they disclose an upsetting experience.
A child who expects punishment for speaking up may choose silence instead.
The danger may be closer than we think.
We often imagine online predators as strangers operating from distant countries. Yet perpetrators may be people children already know. Familiar platforms such as Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp can become channels for manipulation.
Schoolmates, neighbours and mutual friends can exploit offline trust.
The UNICEF Innocenti’s 2025 report, Childhood in a Digital World, found that online sexual abuse and bullying were among the experiences most strongly associated with anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts or behaviours in its multi-country analysis, which included Uganda.
These associations do not prove causation but demand serious child-protection attention.
A September 2026 review published in JAMA Pediatrics, drawing on research involving approximately 2.8 million children and adolescents across sixty-four countries, added another warning. Greater screen exposure was associated with poorer outcomes in academic achievement, language development and emotional wellbeing.
The issue is not merely screen time, but experiences, interactions and displaced activities.
Cutting children off is not the answer.
Taking away the phone may feel reassuring but Internet is what is giving your child the comparative advantage. Internet is also where children learn, discover opportunities, create and connect with the world.
UNICEF found that across 21 of 22 countries examined, children whose parents restricted Internet activities tended to report lower digital skills. This does not justify unlimited access; it shows why guidance and practical education matter alongside sensible boundaries.
There is also inequality. Ugandan children are already lagging. Earlier research suggested that only about one in three Ugandan children aged 12 to 17 had internet access at home. Children with limited access risk falling further behind in digital skills.
Uganda must therefore confront two challenges together: children exposed without adequate protection and children excluded from opportunities.
The UNICEF report is clear that keeping children safe is not their responsibility. Adults, companies and governments must build safer spaces online,
What can we learn from elsewhere?
Rwanda has developed a child online-protection policy. Kenya has combined industry guidelines with a national action plan. Ghana has pursued cooperation among government, educators, industry and civil society.
None has solved every problem. Their common lesson is that families cannot carry the responsibility alone.
Uganda has laws, institutions and UCC awareness initiatives to build upon. Schools need age-appropriate digital-safety education. Parents need practical guidance. Children need trusted reporting channels. Technology companies must make their platforms safer, while authorities strengthen protection and response.
Above all, children must know that telling a trusted adult about online abuse will bring help, not blame.
Our task is to raise young people with the knowledge to use technology, the judgement to recognise danger and the values to respect others.
Uganda’s children deserve to be both smart and safe online. We cannot afford to give them one without the other.
This is the first in a series, “Smart but Safe” examining the responsibilities of government, parents, schools, children, internet service providers and policymakers in building a safer digital future for Uganda's children. Next Monday: Please look out for why as a parent you must look beyond screen time to what your child actually experiences online.