This archive report was first published on 1 July 2021.
On July 1, 2021, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i spoke out against the possibility of a social media blackout in Kenya, citing the country's commitment to upholding freedom of expression.
Speaking during the launch of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission's (NCIC) strategic plan, Matiang'i emphasized that Kenya would not follow the lead of other countries in shutting down social media around election time.
"We are not going to do those things that people do in other places on Earth like turn off the internet or switch off Twitter, those will not happen in this country," he stated.
He also warned vernacular media stations against exploiting their limited reach to spread hate speech, saying that the government would be "fairly ruthless" in dealing with those who interfere with the freedom of others.
However, Matiang'i's comments come in stark contrast to his actions in January 2018, when he instituted a media blackout of three major media stations following the 2017 General Election.
At the time, Matiang'i accused the media houses of causing unrest in the country by broadcasting the NASA event, and claimed that the blackout was necessary to launch a full investigation into the breach of security.
