Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i, has asked chiefs to monitor social media activities in their areas ahead of the August 9 General Election.
Speaking in Nyeri County on Wednesday, April 13, after a meeting with the National Forum of Chiefs, Matiang'i directed the national government administrators to be more vigilant in monitoring and taking action on social media posts made by politicians and their supporters.
The CS stated that the action was necessitated by the rising political temperatures in the country and the platforms were being used by aspirants to spread hate speech and propagate political intolerance.
Chiefs will be tasked with the responsibility of looking out for and reporting the use of words and phrases that were flagged by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
The Interior CS also used the forum to address concerns raised by politicians that Chiefs were impartial and were being used to promote the candidature of Raila Odinga.
He asked the administrators to be politically neutral yet firm when dealing with politicians and ensure that they maintain law and order in their areas of jurisdiction.
On the flip side, Matiang'i noted that Chiefs were susceptible to being harassed when executing their duties, assuring them of government support and protection from bullying and intimidation.
In addition, Chiefs and the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) received a boost from the state in preparation of the election and to help them execute their mandate of implementing government policies.
"10,000 motorbikes will be procured as an addition to 5,000 already bought to facilitate mobility of Chiefs and their assistants," Matiang'i remarked.
Speaking on the rising cases of insecurity in banditry-prone areas such as Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Samburu, Matiang'i requested Chiefs to step up and become peace envoys and initiate resource-sharing talks.
The CS also warned Chiefs against abetting teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence by conducting negotiations between the perpetrators and the families of the victims. He vowed to sack, arrest and prosecute those found culpable.
