Kenya: Hate Speech Arrests? Not Anymore. We Will Effect Arrests After Polls – Kibicho

Nairobi — Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho now says the police will not effect any arrests on hate-speech offences until after the August 9 General Election.

Kibicho who spoke during an interview on Citizen Radio on Monday said the ministry was not interested in “wasting resources” going after politicians cited for hate speech and related offences.

“We have seen a section of politicians openly teasing the authorities and breaking the law so that they can get arrested. The Interior Ministry will not massage their egos,” he said.

“We will not arrest you to give you sympathy votes. Keep breaking the law, we will catch up with you in September. The government never forgets.”

Kibicho’s remarks came at a time the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) is still waiting for ODM leader Raila Odinga to present himself at the agency tasked to monitor hate mongers for questioning.

The NCIC invited Odinga to appear for grilling after he made reference to the term ‘madoadoa’, a term that was construed to mean ill-intent against nonindigenous communities in areas dominated by particular tribes.

Prior to Odinga’s use of the term in his campaigns, NCIC agents working with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested Meru Senator Mithika Linturi for using the word during a rally attended by Deputy President William Ruto, Odinga’s chief rival in the August 9 presidential election, in January.

Linturi was later released after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions declined to prefer charges against him citing the lack of verifiable evidence.