Matiang’i: Gov’t will not shut down Facebook during elections

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has dismissed claims that the government will shut down the internet and social media platforms during the elections.

Addressing the press on Saturday, Matiang’i said threats that Facebook would be unavailable are just mere opinions by individuals.

“Some people are saying that maybe during elections we will shut down Facebook…That is a view, the position of the government is very clear; we will respect the Constitution and all the rights of our people. We will not intrude or interfere with the freedoms of our people,” Matiang'i said.

“I have not heard anything about shutting down social media or interfering with Facebook because of the elections.”

The CS reiterated that the government adheres to democracy and all Kenyans are free to express themselves and continue to enjoy their freedoms, hence there is no reason to shut down social media.

He said that the remarks were made by a National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) employee which should be taken as a personal opinion and not the position of the government.

“We are a mature government, criticism is a way of life and we are used to it. Sometimes when citizens criticize us it’s okay, that is what they are supposed to do because we are not leading animals, we are leading human beings, some of who have ideas better than us,” the CS noted.

“We work in a democratic setup and we will not interfere with social media or the internet just because of elections. My colleague in the ICT and I have said this before, that is nowhere in our cards. Some commissioner expressed an opinion which we are not going to take.”

Dr. Matiang’i added: “We cannot just wake up one morning and do things which Kenyans are not used to. Kenyans are used to freedoms and we will live in peace and ensure that citizens have the peace they need during the electioneering period.”

This follows an earlier statement by NCIC Commissioner Danvas Makori who threatened to have Meta Inc’s Facebook suspended in Kenya for its apparent lack of adherence to the hate speech regulations spelled out by the Government body.

"We have written to Facebook and requested that they comply with the regulatory requirements we put across. If Facebook fails to do that, we will recommend that Facebook services be suspended in Kenya. Facebook has seven days to reply to us, failure to which we take the action of suspension immediately," he said.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru later came out to rubbish the sentiments by the NCIC saying that social media platforms, would continue to operate freely in Kenya without government control, restriction, or censorship.