The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) said Friday it had given Facebook's parent Meta seven days to act following a report it allowed more than a dozen hateful political ads in the run-up to Kenya's August 9 election.
NAIROBI - Kenya insisted Saturday that social media would not be blocked after a state watchdog warned Facebook it risked suspension if it did not tackle hate speech on its platform.
His comments were echoed by Interior Minister Fred Matiang'i who said Kenyans' right to free expression was enshrined in the constitution. "And, we as a government, have no intention of infringing on that right." The body's recommendations followed a report by advocacy group Global Witness and UK-based legal activist firm Foxglove that said Facebook had accepted and broadcast at least 19 ads in both English and Swahili calling for rape, slaughter and beheadings.Asked about the NCIC warning, a Meta spokesperson said: "We've taken extensive steps to help us catch hate speech and inflammatory content in Kenya, and we're intensifying these efforts ahead of the election.
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