Matiang’i: We Will Not Shutdown The Internet During The Elections

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has allayed fears that the government will shutdown the internet as the country fast approaches the August,9,2022 elections.

Matiang’i faulted a section of politicians for spewing the ‘fake news’ saying that the government will not impose retrogressive laws on Kenyans.

“We have been accused of all manner of things but this will not tempt us to retrogressive steps like shutting down the internet during the elections as we respect the rights of all,” he said.

A section of leaders in the Kenya Kwanza alliance accused Matiang’i and his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru of planning to interfere with elections transmission in August. The two have however refuted the claims accusing the leaders of seeking ‘political fodder.

The CS further said that the government will respect Kenyans’ democratic rights as well as uphold their freedom of expression and speech.

He made the remarks during a meeting with stakeholders while fine-tuning the cyberspace security strategy to protect the country from emerging local and global threats.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i described the strategy as critical in coordinating intelligence-based protection against threats and vulnerabilities to the country’s ICT infrastructure and systems. He said the new strategy will help deal with emerging global cybercrimes that pose serious investigative and prosecution challenges to security teams due to its evolving nature and the involvement of high-level political and economic interests.

“We are dealing with all manner of cases of people operating either from our country or other countries, maligning or interfering with political systems. This strategy couldn’t have come at the right time, because it will enable us to start building capacities in our institutions to help police cyberspace,” he said.

He was speaking in Naivasha during the launch of a three-day workshop for the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4). He said the strategy will provide a platform for partnerships between the Government and the private sector to deal with shared threats.

“Cybersecurity is no longer going to be an issue for us in the security sector to deal with, or for institutions in the executive branch of government. We must build a very wide reach because no one is going to be left unaffected. This strategy puts us ahead as we ought to be.”

The CS singled out the abuse of technology in the country and called for concerted action against internet vigilantism noting this has become endemic during the election period.

“The big debate now is how we are going to behave with each other. The era of fake news and unprecedented abuse of social media is here. Those who would like to exercise their freedoms in expression, in association, in supporting their preferred candidates and individuals will do so while taking into consideration the welfare of the whole of society.”

Dr. Matiang’i defended the Huduma Namba project and expressed his dismay that it has been delayed through court processes.

The establishment of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act of 2018, which commenced on 30 May 2018 provides a platform for public policies to ensure the security and safety of information systems.

The Act details offenses relating to computer systems such as unauthorized access or interference, cyber espionage, cyber harassment, cybersquatting, false publication of data, identity theft and impersonation, child pornography, phishing, computer fraud, computer forgery, unauthorized disclosure of passcodes, fraudulent use of electronic data, and cyber-terrorism.