National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) chair Mr. Francis Ole Kaparo has cautioned leaders especially from Mt. Elgon sub – county against trading insults saying it could be setting a bad precedent and could lead to communities engaging in physical confrontations.
Speaking in Kabula while meeting Mt. Elgon Elders (Sabaot), Kaparo stated that their war on hate mongers was not limited to a particular political divide.
He said that it was democratic to differ politically and through ideas but the disputes could only be sorted out by dialogue and not through insults and violence.
“We appreciate that people can differ politically and people can have different ideas. If we have our differences, violence and insults is not a way of sorting them out. We can only sort them out through dialogue and maintain peace in our country,” he said.
The chair NCIC also has denied that they are only targeting the opposition leaders in their crack down on hate speech.
“If you are keen enough you will notice that more cases we have so far handled are from Jubilee side and this will not stop any time soon we must ensure that the leaders do not insult each other causing Kenyans to demonstrate every day,” he said.
Commission Chair, said they were not only after a specific political divide but were clamping down on leaders from across the divide.
He said leader should not try to hide behind communities or party affiliations when they are accused of spreading hate.
“We are going after hate mongers. We do not look at party affiliations or which communities where one comes from, ours is to clamp down on hate. Everyone should carry their own cross,” he said.
Mr. Kaparo said clamping on hate speech was not a political move but rather a move to save the country from tribal chaos like those which were experienced in the year 2007/2008.
He stated that individuals spreading hate messages were not doing it on behalf of political parties but were doing it on their own preference.
He further added that those who are charged with engaging win hate speech should not blame the commission but themselves since their work is to protect the country from chaos.
“It is not my wish to jail somebody but if we must jail somebody in order to save the country then we will do it without hesitation. We owe it to the country to maintain peace and save the nation,” said Mr. Kaparo.
