Furious Matiang'i says Ruto's claims on election rigging are 'cheap and ridiculous'

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has rubbished claims made by Deputy President William Ruto alleging a plan by the government to interfere with the conduct of the upcoming August 9th elections.

Terming Ruto’s allegations as cheap and ridiculous, Dr. Matiang’i reiterated the government's commitment to supporting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct and deliver free and fair elections.

The CS urged Kenyans to ignore the claims of election rigging plans, further assuring that no internet or power connectivity would be interfered with as alleged by the deputy president.

“The Government has no intention of interfering with facilities and utilities that support the conduct of the general elections. It will not shut down the Internet or disrupt power supply,” said Matiang’i.

“People forget that we sit at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as a country. We are very respected at ITU. Kenya has taken its place of pride in the ICT sector globally. How would we result to doing such petty things like shut the internet?” posed Matiang’i.

He accused the DP and his political allies of diverting pent-up frustration and unnecessary anger at security officers who are only conducting their responsibilities.

“Ignore these pent-up frustrations that are being vented on security officials and chiefs. We are just on the receiving end of some people’s frustration, disappointment and unnecessary anger,” said the CS.

On the issue of National Government Administrative Officers especially Chiefs and their Assistants being allegedly mobilized to rig the polls, Matiang’i said: “These unsubstantiated allegations are consistent with frequent, unfounded, and unconscionable attacks against the Government and public officers by His Excellency the Deputy President.”

“The Government is run through established and well-known structures and accountability channels. It is not a secret society cloaked in conspiracies and dark agendas. 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 the CS.

He further dismissed the DP’s claims on alleged meetings being held by top security officials to plan and provoke ethnic tensions in the Rift Valley region, wondering why the country’s second-in-command had not raised the matter before the National Security Council or any other official security platform.

“…official channels to register concerns with the conduct of public officers are well laid out. Chastising and threatening them in public is not one of them,” said Matiang’i adding that the DP was actually endangering the lives of security officials whom he(Ruto) has been accusing of being partisan.

“Personalised attacks that cast aspersions on public officers who have no opportunity to defend their honour against their seniors injures reputations potentially and exposes the victims and their families to harm… Repeatedly dragging the names of innocent civil servants who are not vying for any elective office into political duels is unfortunate,” he said.

“Kenyans should just ignore some of these things, treat them with the extreme contempt they deserve and focus on the election day, let us go like law-abiding citizens, queue, vote and wait for what IEBC will tell us... Our democracy has come of age. this is a beautiful country and God has been gracious to us,” said the CS.