Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has maintained that the government will not shut down the internet before, during, and after the August General Election.
Matiangi gave the assurance on Saturday amid discourse generated by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) who on Friday threatened to recommend the suspension of Facebook over noncompliance with hate speech regulations.
"The position of the government is very clear, we will respect the Constitution, respect all the rights of our people. We will not intrude or interfere with the freedoms of our people," Matiangi said while in Kisii.
The peace-building agency issued a seven-day ultimatum to the social media giant to clean up hate speech on its platform or risk suspension.
Commissioner Danvas Makori issued the ultimatum on behalf of the Commission but Matiangi termed his sentiments as "personal opinion and not official policy".
Matiangi stressed that the Cabinet has never entertained the idea of infringing on the rights of Kenyans.
"That was his opinion which I can confirm that we are not going to take or listen to. We are a mature government and we will not shut down social media or the internet," Matinagi said.
Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru also on Saturday dismissed the NCIC position noting that "media, including social media, will continue to enjoy press freedom in Kenya".
He reiterated that the government "is on record. We are NOT shutting down the Internet".
The NCIC is an independent ethnic cohesion watchdog set up after the 2007-8 post-election violence that left more than 1,000 people dead.
It does not have the power to suspend Facebook but can make recommendations to the government's Communications Authority.
NCIC's recommendations followed a report by advocacy group Global Witness and UK-based legal activist firm Foxglove that said Facebook had accepted and broadcast at least 19 ads in both English and Swahili calling for rape, slaughter, and beheadings
"From the report, it is very clear that Facebook is in violation of the laws of our country. They have allowed themselves to be a vector of hate speech and incitement, misinformation, and disinformation," NCIC Commissioner Danvas Makori said adding that the Commission had sent recommendations to Facebook.
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NCIC issues 7-day ultimatum to Facebook to comply with hate speech regulations or be suspended
The report by Global Witness and UK-based legal activist firm Foxglove found that Facebook carried content on its platform of at least 19 ads calling for rape, slaughter, and beheadings in both English and Swahili languages.
Makori also faulted the platform's reluctance to spearhead peace messages ahead of the August polls "yet they allow hate speech, incitement on their platform".
He regretted that the platform was discriminatory in regulating hate speech content in Africa.
"The hate speech moderation in the USA and Europe is very robust. There is a double standard to their moderation and self-policing.
An undercover expose by UK media revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm, used the personal data of millions of Facebook users to target political ads and spread misinformation during Kenya's 2013 and 2017 presidential campaigns.
