HATE SPEECH

Former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile on Tuesday said he had ignored a summons by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission over utterances he made last week.

The Independent Party (TIP) leader said the summons was related to his involvement and the utterances he made during a tour of Coast Province by Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Speaking to journalists in Mombasa, Mr Ndile said he had, however, ignored the summons as the commission had not followed the official procedure.

Not attend

He said his cooperation would depend on the commission’s agenda.

He said if he found it unimportant, he would not attend.

However, commission chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia on Tuesday said he had not summoned Mr Ndile but had just “spoken to him on the phone.”

“We have not reached that stage. But we have no option but to summon him,” Dr Kibunjia said.

He said should Mr Ndile be found to have made the utterances, he would be required to apologise publicly or the commission would shame him.

“We will formally invite him ... we don’t want to conduct our business in the media,” said Dr Kibunjia.

Mr Ndile is in the commission’s crosshairs following complaints, especially by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, that the former MP was slandering him.

“The threshold is not that of ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ as it applies in the law courts. The Act refers to use of abusive, threatening or insulting words or behaviour,” Dr Kibunjia said.

Mr Ndile becomes the second public figure to be summoned after PNU activist Moses Kuria who appeared before the commission to explain a complaint he made against Prime Minister Odinga.

The PM is yet to appear before the commission in connection with Mr Kuria’s complaint.

Dr Kibunjia in a past interview said the commission had chosen to be a honest broker of peace where people and communities could present their cases and avoid fighting.