The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has issued a stark alert to lawmakers and political figures regarding the escalating incidence of hateful rhetoric, particularly on online platforms.
Wambui Nyutu, NCIC Vice Chairperson, addressing the media, revealed that the Commission had completed probes into several lawmakers, including Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Farah Maalim (Dadaab), and Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), and submitted their cases to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for potential prosecution.
“We have more than 10 politicians (Farah Maalim, Dan Wanyama, and Oscar Sudi) who have been using language that can incite Kenyans. We have even completed our investigations and forwarded the files to DCI and if the DCI does take the next step which is to arrest and charge these criminals and the DPP takes them to court and there is prosecution, we will have made progress,” Nyutu told reporters.
In a separate briefing, NCIC Chairperson Samuel Kobia and the commissioners expressed concern over the rising tide of ‘divisive rhetoric’ among political figures.
The NCIC has cautioned that the country is veering off course, more than two years ahead of the General Election, as leaders engage in bitter verbal exchanges.
“We are alarmed by the surge in deeply divisive rhetorics which verge on hate speech and ethnic contempt, that has plagued the social media platforms as well as the public rallies in the recent weeks,” the commission said in a statement.
Kobia emphasized, “We as NCIC demand an immediate return to order and decorum. These utterances we have witnessed in recent months have absolutely no place in Kenya.”
The commission also warned politicians against exploiting social media by misinterpreting Article 33 of the 2010 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
“It is very clear that the same Constitution does not guarantee freedom to propaganda for war, incitement to violence, hate speech, advocacy of hatred that constitute ethnic incitement, vilification of others or incitement to cause harm based on any ground of discrimination,” NCIC stated.
Citing the National Cohesion Act 2008 Section 13 (1) (a) and Section 62, NCIC reiterated that the law unequivocally safeguards the rights of all Kenyans, regardless of their religious, ethnic, or political affiliations.
