Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leader, Raila Odinga has been urged to stop his protest rallies that are aimed at discrediting the Kenya Kwanza Government.
National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) chairman Samuel Kobia on Thursday said that the rallies are providing a platform for opposition politicians to spew hate speech.
“Hate speech and ethnic contempt is as a result of the recent political rallies. In this respect we call on former Prime Minister to cease holding these political rallies because he is really the critical leader when it comes to now taking the country back to election mode. We cannot afford that as a country,” Kobia said.
The NCIC chair warned that the rallies could not only polarize the country but also bring it down to its knees.
“The international community is keen on what is happening in Kenya. Our relationship with the international community is sensitive to things that destabilise peace and cohesion in the country,” he said.
He added, “The rallies that were held recently saw a spike in hate speech and misinformation, a move likely to get out of hand if unchecked. In January alone, there were 10 hate speech cases and 20 misinformation cases had been recorded and are being investigated.”
The warning comes after Korogocho Member of the County Assembly (MCA) Absalom Odhiambo was arrested for allegedly uttering hate speech words during Odinga’s Kamukunji rally last week.
Odhiambo threatened to mobilize Azimio supporters to storm the State House and kick President Ruto out.
“Kwa siasa ya taifa tunataka tutoke twende ikulu tutoe huyo mwizi… Nataka tuingie town, tufunge biashara. Hakuna biashara itaendelea hii town ya Nairobi. Ndio William Ruto aheshimu Raila Odinga lazima tufunge biashara hii town,” he said.
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