NO ELECTIONS FOR HATE MONGERS- NCIC

National Cohesion and
Integration Commission (NCIC) wants
politicians who propagate hate speech barred
from contesting for political seats in the next
election.
The commission also wants those implicated
with hate speech charges bailed by the Judicial
Service Commission (JSC) in a bid to curb the
alarming rate of hate mongering in the country.
NCIC commissioners led by Joseph Nasongo
and Dr. Roba Sharamo said in Mombasa
Tuesday that failure to take action against
politicians who make inflammatory remarks
might plunge the country into chaos.
The commissioners called on National
Assembly to amend the Constitution to grand
the Independent Electoral and Boundaries
commission (IEBC) more powers lock out
rogue politicians who are implicated with public
incitement and hate speech.

“We have laws that govern all the processes
but there is need for a clear law. We ask the
Parliament to make amendments to the
electoral laws to ensure those who are
implicated are barred from contesting,” said
Nasongo.
The commission also proposes that politicians
who are eyeing various political seats ahead of
the polls acquire a social cohesion certificate
as an identity of integrity, adding that it has
become the norm to politicians to propagate
hate speech in the guise of looking for votes.
He said the commission had completed its
investigations into alleged hate speech by
some politicians and had forwarded the files to
the Director of Public Prosecutions but was
concerned by the slow pace at whichJudiciary
was handling the cases.
Addressing a press conference at the
Mombasa County Commissioner's office, the
commissioners were however alarmed by the
rate at which hate speech was spreading on
social media, adding that thorough
investigations are ongoing to arrest more
suspects.
“Already, 16 cases are ongoing at different
levels. There are also lower level on social
media and we have noticed that some of the
culprits use anonymous names but we are
working closely with the intelligence to monitor
them,” added Nasongo.
NCIC said it will restrict political parties from
zoning certain areas as their strong holds by
erecting billboards with some political
messages arguing that the move will trigger
ethnic divisions and fear ahead of the next
elections.
“We will not allow political zoning, erecting
billboards and banners with political zoning
messages will contribute to ethnic divisions
and this is something the commission is
discouraging, as a commission we are working
with relevant government authorities to ensure
cohesion,” said Sharamo.
However the officials cited numerous
challenges including the disconnect between
the office of director of public prosecutions
Keriako Tobiko,the office of inspector general
Joseph Boinet and the National cohesion and
the judicial service commission JSC as barriers
towards prosecuting hate mongers.
The judiciary has been accused of derailing
efforts to prosecute hate mongers by the fact
that most of the suspects are granted bonds
to walk Scot free even after committing serious
offenses amounting to imprisonment.