Machakos residents warned against incitement to violence

Residents of Mwala subcounty in Machakos have been cautioned against political incitement to violence through social media.

Mwala subcounty criminal investigations officer Catherine Kinoti said the days are numbered for those misusing their communication gadgets to incite violence before, during and after the August 9 polls.

She spoke during a security awareness meeting in Mwala on Wednesday.

The officer asked the public to be wary of those drafting hate messages as they will be arrested and charged.

"You take your phone, sit in your peaceful house and write inciting messages, which you forward to WhatsApp groups with more than 100 members, thereby inciting more than 100 people in the group,” she said.

Kinoti said they will arrest such members with their administrators for allowing members to use inciteful messages in their groups.

"Your days are numbered, photocopying documents with hate messages and publishing hate messages is a crime,” she said.

The officer also warned politicians against misusing the public especially youths to attack their opponents and supporters.

"Don't intoxicate our children by buying them drugs. Politicians give our children bhang and alcohol to incite and cause violence against their opponents,” she said.

Kinoti said Kenyans should know that lives are more important than the election, which will come and go.

She said election is meant for citizens to be able to elect leaders who can articulate their problems.

Mwala subcounty police commander Ronald Kirui said they are well prepared for the August 9 polls.

“We are prepared to secure all the 222 polling stations in Mwala subcounty. We are able to deploy enough police officers in all the polling stations,” he said.

Kirui said there has been no single case of political violence reported in the subcounty since national campaigns started on May 29.

“Not even a single insecurity incident out of electoral offence has been reported to any of our six police stations since May 29.

"I’m telling those who might be tempted to cause violence during this period that we are well prepared, someone shouldn’t try to breach peace. We don’t want to disrupt peace, you will face the full force of the law,” Kirui said.

He further urged the residents to be peace ambassadors.

Mwala deputy county commissioner David Tengutwa decried the rising number of suicides, with the recent case being that of a 37-year-old man.

He said surprisingly those found to have committed suicide were men of between 35 and 75 years, with investigation officers failing to get the main reason behind it.

“We are worried that many are ending their own lives. Investigations have revealed that recent cases involved men aged between 37 and 75,” Tegutwa said.

The commissioner called on the clergy’s intervention to reduce the suicide cases.

He however told residents to maintain peace during and after the election adding that Kenya is bigger than all of us.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)