The government has no intention of shutting down the internet during the General Election, says Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

Reacting to remarks by politicians in the Kenya Kwanza team, Matiang’i said the government respects the citizens’ democratic space and would not interfere with it.

Kenya Kwanza’s team led by Deputy President William Ruto has accused Matiang’i and his ICT counterpart, Joe Mucheru, of allegedly planning to interfere with the transmission of the elections.

But Matiang’i dismissed the claims, stating that they would not interfere with the internet despite the accusations levelled against them.

Speaking in Naivasha during a workshop to launch the National Cyber Security Strategy, Matiang’i termed cybercrime as a major challenge.

Huduma Number

He said the Cyber Security Strategy would address data protection in both security forces and the business community. The CS revisited the controversial Huduma Numba, noting that it was meant to ease government services by pooling together all personal data.

On his part, Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai praised the strategy, saying it would help them deal with cyber-crime.