Senator Murigande backs calls to restrict ‘Pornography’ access in Rwanda

Rwandan Senator Charles Murigande has called for stronger measures to restrict young people’s access to pornography online, arguing that the growing exposure to explicit content is contributing to worrying levels of sexual behaviour among children and young people.

Murigande made the remarks in an interview with KP Media24 published on August 22, 2026, while discussing the government’s efforts to address products and behaviours considered harmful to public health and the younger generation.

The senator praised Rwanda’s decision to crack down on substandard alcoholic drinks, saying such measures are necessary to protect society from products that can have serious consequences for people’s health.

He also referred to China, saying the country had previously faced challenges linked to harmful alcoholic products before taking measures to restrict them.

“China once faced a situation similar to ours, with other countries sending them strong alcoholic drinks,” Murigande said. “People became severely affected and died, but the country took decisions to ban those products. If they had not taken those decisions, we would not have the China we have today.”

Murigande said the same determination should be applied to what he described as the growing exposure of young people to pornography.

He expressed concern over what he called an alarming level of sexual activity among children and young people, arguing that some are being exposed to explicit material through the internet and subsequently engaging in risky behaviour.

The senator said Rwanda should consider using its technological capacity to prevent children from accessing pornography websites.

He pointed to China’s internet controls as an example, saying technological systems can be used to block access to websites containing explicit material.

“In Rwanda, if we want to help our young people sustainably, we are making progress in technology,” Murigande said. “The Ministry of ICT and Innovation and institutions such as the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) should look at ways of protecting Rwandan children from accessing such pornographic content.”

His comments come as Rwanda continues to debate how best to protect children and young people from harmful content and behaviours in an increasingly digital society.

Murigande argued that pornography should not be considered in isolation, saying online content that promotes or encourages suicide should also be subject to measures aimed at protecting young people.

The senator’s proposal raises wider questions about how Rwanda can balance child protection and online safety with access to information and digital freedoms.

As internet and smartphone use continues to expand, governments around the world are increasingly examining technological and regulatory measures to protect minors from harmful online material.