Mutua calls on NCIC to probe Raila over 'Vijana fire' phrase

Machakos governor Alfred Mutua has called on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate Azimio leader Raila Odinga's phrase 'Vijana Fire'.

In a statement on Thursday, Mutua said the phrase can be used to incite violence among youths during the August polls.

"When a leader tells hungry, jobless, suffering and easy to manipulate youth, “Vijana Fire”, what is the message he is sending them? You only fire after taking aim and then pressing the trigger to shoot a fellow Kenyan," Mutua tweeted.

Mutua added that leaders ought to shun utterances and actions that may send messages of incitement and violence.

"We call upon NCIC to investigate Hon. Raila Odinga and Azimio for incitement to violence," he said.

"Election violence starts with such utterances and programming. As the saying goes in Swahili, 'Ukiona vyaelea, jua vyaundwa.' Telling youth fire is incitement and tantamount to hate speech and priming youth to violence,"

This is after Raila featured in a song 'Fire' with Mathare member of parliament aspirant Kevin Bahati.

However, the governor is seen dancing to the tune when he was supporting Raila before moving to Kenya Kwanza.

Raila has popularised the 'Vijana Fire' slogan in his campaigns to woo youths in voting for him in the coming August polls.

This comes a week after the High Court  quashed a decision by the NCIC that declared the popular sheng phrase "hatupangwingwi" and "watajua hawajui" as hate terms.

NCIC chairman Samuel Kobia banned the usage of the two phrases in public rallies, social media posts and political talk shows in April.

He reasoned that the move would go a long way in containing hate speech and ensuring the nation is secure during this election period.

At the same time Mutua called on Kenyans to back William Ruto in his  Kenya Kwanza presidential conquest.