Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, two Cabinet Secretaries and seven other prominent leaders are under investigation by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) over alleged hate speech and ethnic incitement.
In a joint press briefing with the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), NCIC Chairperson Rev. Dr. Kepha Nyamweya Omae said the Commission had launched independent investigations into utterances allegedly made by the individuals amid growing concern over rising political intolerance ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Those under investigation are Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale and Geoffrey Ruku, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Busia Governor Paul Otuoma, Mandera Deputy Governor Ali Mohamud, MPs John Waluke, Wanjiku Muhia and David Gikaria, as well as Tipape Naini Musa and Dennis Adison Ouma.
“The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) issue this joint statement following a consultative meeting held today between the two institutions. Both parties reaffirm their shared commitment to safeguarding national unity, promoting peaceful coexistence, and securing a credible, violence-free electoral process ahead of the 2027 General Election,” Omae said.
He stressed that the Commission would carry out its mandate independently.
“The Commission’s mandate to monitor, investigate and act on matters of hate speech, ethnic incitement and threats to national cohesion is exercised without political direction, favour or interference. We are guided solely by the law and the evidence before us,” he said.
Omae warned that no individual is above the law, regardless of status or office.
“These investigations are being undertaken strictly in accordance with due process and the law. The Commission reiterates that no individual, regardless of office or standing, is beyond the reach of the law where credible allegations of hate speech or ethnic incitement arise,” he said.
He, however, emphasised that all those under investigation remain innocent until proven otherwise.
“All persons under investigation retain their full rights under the Constitution and the law, including the presumption of innocence, pending the conclusion of due process,” he said.
The Commission and the IRCK also raised concern over what they described as increasing inflammatory political rhetoric, premature campaigns and cyber harassment, warning that the trends pose a threat to national cohesion.
“As we look toward the 2027 General Election, we do so with growing concern. Across our counties, our airwaves and our social media platforms, we are witnessing a troubling rise in political intolerance. Language is increasingly used not just to disagree with an opponent, but to dehumanise them; communities are being cast not as neighbours who hold different views, but as adversaries to be defeated by any means,” Omae said during the briefing, flanked by IRCK Chairperson Sheikh Abdullahi Salat.
It further called on law enforcement agencies to support the investigations to end impunity.
“As NCIC, we commit to pursuing every case without fear or favour, swiftly and transparently, so that impunity does not take root in our political culture. As we have always maintained, every person carries their own cross. Crime is committed individually and is a personal responsibility. No community, region or group should be held collectively accountable for the alleged conduct of an individual,” he said.
Source/Photos by Giverson Maina
