• Nyeri Central DCC Joseph Mwangi says politicians who incite or spread hate speech will be arrested and prosecuted.
• The meeting will be stopped immediately and those in attendance ordered to leave the venue.
Politicians who incite people to chaos or spread hate speech will not be permitted to hold meetings in in Nyeri Central.
Nyeri Central deputy county commissioner Joseph Mwangi on Tuesday warned that such politicians will also be arrested and prosecuted. In cases where meetings are ongoing, they will be stopped and those in attendance ordered to leave.
Mwangi said the subcounty “has been very peaceful” and no politician will be allowed to come from elsewhere to breach the peace.
“We are not going to allow people to come and do meetings here and incite others. As they do that, they trigger chaos, which can harm people,” he said.
He spoke during a two-day sensitisation forum with local security actors on hate speech management. The forum was organised by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission in Nyeri town. Those in attendance included chiefs and their assistants, Nyumba Kumi elders and members of the county peace committees, formerly known as district peace committees.
The chiefs will be required to give first-hand information of anybody spreading or talking hate speech and inciting people.
Mwangi said security officials will be on high alert, especially now that the country may be headed for a referendum and a general election in two years.
The Public Order Act requires anybody who wants to hold a meeting to inform a police station boss, who, in turn, informs his or her seniors.
“A security meeting will be called to discuss whether the politician will be allowed to hold the meeting. Once we are satisfied that he or she has met all the conditions, we shall allow that politician to hold the meeting,” Mwangi said.
NCIC Complaints, legal and enforcement assistant director Kyalo Mwengi said the commission will partner with the local administration to enhance cohesion in the entire Nyeri county.