NCIC investigating 37 cases of hate speech against politicians

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) is probing 37 new cases related to hate speech and incitement against some politicians.

NCIC Commissioner Dorcas Kedogo said the heightened political activities in the Country and use of polarizing statements by politicians is impacting negatively on the Country’s stability and economic growth.

Kedogo who was accompanied by fellow Commissioner Dan Makori said a section of Members of Parliament are taking advantage of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rallies that have been held in several parts of the Country to make inflammatory statements largely characterized by inter ethnic profiling.

The two who had paid Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya a courtesy call noted that there is increase in political hooliganism and violence in the Country.

At the same time, NCIC has put on notice elected leaders and politicians financing and promoting violence in Transmara West, Baringo North and Samburu, saying they should be prosecuted.

The commissioners noted that conflict within the North Rift is now being fuelled purely for political reasons as detachments of formed security units had sealed all the routes that were previously used by cattle rustlers.

“The conflict now revolves around ethnic hatred as some elected leaders frustrate and politicize the Government’s disarmament program. We have established that these communities are no longer fighting over water, pasture, cattle rustling or any other resource” noted Kedogo

She called on the media to embrace conflict-sensitive reporting and avoid stirring political emotions that may trigger violence as Kenyans debate on the BBI report.

Makori warned that the commission was jointly mapping out strategies with other enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute the offenders of the law without fear or favour.

He said once investigations are complete the 37 files will be handed over to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.