Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho has launched a fresh attack on the Judiciary faulting the courts’ consideration of bail applications as a stumbling block to government agenda.
Speaking in the inaugural symposium Kibicho accused judges and magistrates of failing to cooperate with government, asking them to find ways to reconcile with government ahead of the 2022 General Election.
“It is the action of the judiciary that is making everybody desperate including the NCIC. I know chairman if I told you to produce a list of people here you’ve summoned because of hate speech, they are in the hundreds but none finishes a day in the cells, how will they not propagate hate speech,”
Kibicho said the release of politicians suspected to have committed hate speech offences was dampening the morale of law enforcement officers and undermining security agencies.
“We are getting frustrated as law enforcers, because you get someone at the scene of crime arrest them, take them to court the following day they are released and mock him. What will happen to those policemen, what are you telling them…then you begin saying police are corrupt,”
He also urged the religious leaders to speak to judiciary so that they reconcile with executive and Parliament in order to deliver a peaceful and credible general election as they can’t do that If they are reading from different scripts. He pointed out that religious leaders play a critical role in promoting peace in the country adding that their input into the lives of the people is undeniable and its consequences far reaching. Kobia added that the commission will partner with religious leaders in promoting their campaign dubbed “Election Bila Noma” which he said envisions a peaceful and stable country before during and after elections.
Kibicho further called on the NCIC under the leadership of Simon Kobia to use its constitutional mandate to take action on leaders spearheading hate speech during the electioneering period.He stated that NCIC should treat hate speech with the seriousness it deserves to discourage political leaders from promoting the vice.
“We need you to start biting and bite seriously. We need to hear that there is a person who has been jailed for 50 years. As soon as people start assuming that you are toothless, they will defy you. You must bring people to order by making sure there are consequences for such actions,”
Kibicho cautioned Kenyans against using social media to promote hate saying that the commission will take serious action against those involved.
“Hatemongers have gone online and we are going to follow them there. In fact, we are already there and we have now not less than half a dozen of those that we have been able to follow in the social media thinking they can hide there, but we are going to get them since we have some advanced technology that can identify them even if they hide behind fake names,” said Kobia.
Senator Naomi Shinyonga, Chairperson of Senate’s National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration noted the rise of hate speech incidences in the country and urged the religious leaders to bar leaders from using the pulpit to promote hate speech and sore discord among Kenyans. The symposium convened by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) was attended by a section of religious and political leaders.
Edited by: Chepkosgei Jedidah