Kenyan ministers rally around Meta’s Facebook after watchdog’s ultimatum

Kenya has no intention of shutting down Facebook, which is owned by Meta, its ICT minister said on Monday after the national cohesion watchdog gave the platform seven days to comply with rules on hate speech or face suspension.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) on Friday accused Facebook of contravening Kenya’s constitution and laws for failing to tackle hate speech and incitement on the platform ahead of Aug. 9 national elections.
“We do not have a plan to shut down any of these platforms,” Joe Mucheru, the minister for information, communication and technology, told Reuters. “Press freedom is one we cherish, whether it is (traditional) media or social media.”