Casual Phrase ‘Wantam’ Warned Could Be Declared Unlawful — MP Sounds Alarm on Kenya’s Digital Future.

In a startling and urgent warning, Njeri Maina, Woman Representative for Kirinyaga County, has cautioned that everyday Kenyan slang—specifically the widely used word “wantam”—may soon fall under the scope of criminalisation given the sweeping powers embedded in the recently passed cyber-legislation.

Speaking on a live talk show Thursday morning, October 23 2025, Maina said: “Even saying ‘wantam’ could be declared unlawful. I joke about it sometimes, but we know the Kenyan and African governments can’t be trusted with such power without supervision.” Her comments reverberate against a backdrop of intense national debate over the newly enacted Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024 and its wide-reaching implications for freedom of expression.

Government powers and civil liberties collide

Maina’s alarm comes as civil society groups and legal experts have already challenged portions of the law in court, arguing that vague definitions and robust state powers could see ordinary speech targeted. She flagged concerns over new authority granted to the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4) — an agency empowered to coordinate cyber-responses and potentially dictate online conduct without what she describes as sufficient judicial oversight.

“What is criminal? Saying ‘wantam’ can be declared unlawful. Governments cannot be given that power without supervision,” said the MP in a direct challenge to the law’s expansive framing. She also highlighted troubling provisions that may allow for extradition of persons abroad, enforcement of anonymity suspension, and broad definitions under which actions may be deemed criminal.

Why this matters now

The conversation gains traction in light of President William Ruto’s recent assent to the amendment act, which significantly upgrades Kenya’s legal architecture for responding to cybercrime. Critics argue the timing and breadth of the amendments conflict with entrenched protections for free speech. The fact that a casual Kenyan phrase has been singled out as potentially illegal signals a deeper unease: namely, the prospect that online slang, memes and informal expression may now become vulnerable to state scrutiny and control.

Maina’s remarks mark one of the most dramatic public critiques yet from an elected official regarding this new law. As she pointed out, the law’s reach could extend well beyond the traditional arenas of cyber-fraud or hacking into the subtle realm of language and digital culture—a realm that has thus far remained largely unregulated.

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