Mutua says it will take time to pull down Deputy Governor’s video

KISUMU, KENYA: Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Hezekiel Mutua has said it may take up to one week to pull down the viral video of Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri.

Mutua said the board has no direct access to initiate the removal of the contents in social media, but has since written to the social media administrators to remove it from their sites.

Speaking in Kisumu during the launch of training of regional licensing officers, Mutua said the board has classified the content of the video as offensive material not worth circulating, and was working on having it pulled down as soon as possible.

“There are certain take down procedures which we have to follow as regulators, and we have filled the forms to that effect,” said Mutua.

The video was allegedly shot in a hotel in Thika, portraying Mr Ndambiri and unknown lady in a naked state, and released in social media on Tuesday. The DG has since come out to admit that he was a victim of activities of extortionists and goons targeting politicians.

Even though there were mixed reactions on social media over the video, Mr Mutua termed the move to shoot and circulate the video as Social Media Terrorism, saying the board was keen to tighten laws on use of technology for crime.

In his social media post, Mutua called for the arrest and prosecution of the owner of the hotel for compromising the privacy and security of the Deputy Governor as well as those who attacked him.

And on Thursday he reiterated the remarks, saying there was no justification for the actions against the Deputy Governor.

“What we saw was a worse crime, and let us not hide behind anonymity. We have been able to pull down a lot of offensive material from social media, and it can be regulated,” said Mutua.

He said the board had input on the Cyber Crime bill currently in parliament to encompass use of social media so as to protect Kenyans.

He said if passed, the laws will regulate creation, circulation, possession and usage of content circulated in social media, and that the board has the capacity to implement these.