National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has noted increased incidences of hate speech and incitement on social media.
In June alone, NCIC flagged 31 cases of hate speech with the help of the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).
NCIC said the cases have mainly been linked to campaign rallies, with the Jacaranda rally contributing to the highest number of cases identified.
"We have identified Twitter to be the main platform for hate speech in the period under review, with a total of 16 cases, compared with 7 cases identified on Facebook and 5 cases on TikTok," NCIC said.
"As peace actors under the Uwiano Platform, we are concerned by the increasing number of hate speech cases on the social media platforms with chaotic rallies being a trigger for incitement on social media."
NCIC chairman Simon Kobia said that they have established political tension between political parties.
"Through the NCIC’s and NSC Early Warning mechanisms that include monitors deployed in various counties and networks within UWIANO, we have thus established Heightened localized political tension between political party supporters in Kisumu, Nairobi Kirinyaga, Marsabit, Meru, Isiolo, Trans Nzoia, Busia, Nakuru and Narok counties,” he said.
Kobia noted that there has been a proliferation of organized criminal groups and gangs in Nakuru, Lamu, Mombasa and informal settlements of Nairobi ahead o the August polls.
National Safety Council (NSC) deputy secretary Jeremiah Were said the campaigns to discredit the credibility of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Twitter has happened before in 2013 and 2017 in Kenya.
He said the method aims to project the IEBC as incompetent, thus sowing doubt in citizens’ perception on the ability of the IEBC to deliver credible results.
"In 2013 and 2017, the campaign to discredit the IEBC was well coordinated on Twitter, with evidence of artificial amplification of certain messages using manipulated photo-shopped images and bot accounts. The campaigns used hashtags such as #ChebukatiCannotBeTrusted."
