CS Matiang'i addresses fears of internet shutdown during August General Election

Kenya is developing a national cyber security policy framework ahead of the elections and efforts to curb cybercrime and fake news.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matang'i has assured the country that the government has no plans of shutting down the internet during the August 9, elections.

He was speaking in Nakuru during the opening of a stakeholders workshop on Kenya's cyber security strategy 2022-2026.

CS Fred Matiang'i addresses fears of internet shutdown during August General Election Pulse Live Kenya

“We are approaching elections and the big debate is how we are going to behave with each other. The strategy could not have come at a better time as it will help police to build capacity in cyberspace,” he said.

The CS said that taking extreme measures such as shutting the internet would be to claw back on the rights of Kenyans.

“No amount of insults, no amount of criticism of us in the executive branch of government will tempt us enough to resort to aggressive acts of interfering with freedoms like shutting the internet or you know clawing back on freedoms we have acquired through the Constitution and through the law,” the CS assured.

Matiang’i acknowledged that tackling cybercrime is a tough task for any government, emphasising the necessity for a multi-sectoral strategy.

He stressed the need of the Kenya Defence Forces, police, DCI, and NIS to invest extensively in cybersecurity.

The cabinet secretary added that safeguarding Kenya in cyberspace involved both the government and private sector players to develop a national cyber strategy.

The strategy will be used in protecting the integrity of Kenya's data systems from hackers and saboteurs.

CS Fred Matiang'i addresses fears of internet shutdown during August General Election Pulse Live Kenya

Cybercrime targeting children is on the rise, according to ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng, who called on stakeholders to offer regulations for children's welfare and the nation's future in cyberspace.

“Misinformation and false propaganda are some of the cyber-risks. It is, therefore, necessary to develop a national culture of cybersecurity or cyber-hygiene and where necessary strengthen online positive propaganda/news,” Ochieng added.