Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’I Government has denied reports of election tampering ahead of next week’s Tuesday elections.
Addressing the media on Friday, August 5, CS Matiang’i said that the government had no intention of interfering with facilities and utilities that support the conduct of general elections.
“We will not shut down the Internet or disrupt power supply. There is no policy or intention to engage in any voter suppression campaigns,” he said.
This comes after Deputy President William Ruto accused the government of plotting to disrupt the August 9 polls by causing mayhem on election day.
The Deputy President also accused the Interior CS and Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, as well as National Government Administrative Officers in the Rift Valley region, of holding and hosting illegal meetings with the goal of planning and inciting ethnic tensions in the region.
Ruto also stated that the government intended to interfere with the conduct of the General Elections by disrupting communication networks and electricity supply through the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).
However, CS Matiang’I refuted DP Ruto’s allegations, claiming that the government is run through well-established and well-known structures and accountability channels.
“As a senior member of the same Government, His Excellency the Deputy President ought to know and manifest an understanding of how Government’s decisions are arrived at and executed,” said CS Matiang’i.
“Those working in the Government are bound by the edicts and practice of collective responsibility,” he added.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to assisting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in conducting and delivering free and fair elections by ensuring it has the resources it needs to carry out its sole mandate.
