Cohesion body writes to Raila, Uhuru over vulgar language

National Cohesion and Reconciliation Commission (NCIC) vice chair Mary Onyango. The Commission has written to three prominent politicians asking them to desist from using vulgar language March 3, 2011. FILE  

By OLIVER MATHENGEPosted Thursday, March 3 2011 at 12:29

Kenya's cohesion body has written to three prominent politicians asking them to desist from using vulgar language.

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) warned Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto that non compliance would be a violation of the law.

The NCIC also said that it had another four politicians on its radar and cessation notices would be issued if they are found to be on the wrong. The notices to the three were sent on Wednesday according to NCIC vice-chair Mary Onyango.

She told journalists in Nairobi that though the utterances by the three did not border to hate speech, they were likely to act as a divisive factor among Kenyans.

She added that despite this, the National Cohesion and Integration Act gives the commission power to ask persons and institutions to desist from certain conduct.

“Their actions, conduct and use of abusive language in public may or may not be directed to anyone because of his or her ethnicity, race or religion as per our mandate but are possible triggers likely to affect the harmonious and peaceful co-existence between different ethnic communities,” said Ms Onyango.

The NCIC said that the letters had been copied to the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General who will be expected to take further action if the three do not tone down their utterances.

Ms Onyango also said that they were watching utterances related to the pending cases against six Kenyans at the International Criminal Court saying that they “tended to take ethnic dimensions”.

In the run up to the referendum, NCIC issued cessation notices to Mr Ruto, MPs Wilfred Machage, Fred Kapondi, Dr Julius Kones, Mohammed Sheikh Dor, Joshua Kutuny and a political activist Christine Nyangitha.

The seven were summoned by the commission to explain their utterances and Mr Machage, Mr Kutuny, Ms Nyangitha and Mr Kapondi were later charged in court for hate speech.

The cases are still ongoing.