Court directs MP Salasya to issue public apology to settle hate speech suit
A Nairobi court directed Mumias East MP Peter Salasya to issue a public apology and participate in a national peace and cohesion campaign as part of a settlement in his ongoing hate speech case.
Senior Resident Magistrate Paul Mutai issued the directions on Monday after ruling that key terms of a conciliation agreement between Salasya and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) had not yet been implemented.
Salasya is facing charges over statements he allegedly made during political engagements in Meru and Isiolo counties, as well as along the Nanyuki route.
Prosecutors contend that the remarks amounted to hate speech, contrary to the law.
The MP has denied the charges and is currently out on a Sh200,000 cash bail.
The prosecution had earlier sought the intervention of the NCIC to pursue dialogue and reconciliation, leading to a conciliation agreement between the parties.
However, during Monday’s pretrial the court held that there was no proof that Salasya had complied with the agreed conditions.
Magistrate Mutai said the agreement required the MP to jointly hold a well-publicised press conference with the NCIC, during which he would publicly apologise and promote national peace and cohesion.
“I will not adopt this agreement immediately because these are things you willingly agreed to do,” the magistrate said, adding that Salasya must first comply and present evidence of compliance before the court can formally adopt the settlement.
The court further directed Salasya to take part in a social media campaign promoting peace, cohesion and national integration.
Evidence of both the public apology and the online campaign must be submitted to the court within 14 days.
The magistrate said that strict adherence to the conditions was necessary to ensure the settlement achieves its objective of reconciliation and public accountability.
The matter will be mentioned after the lapse of the 14-day period to confirm compliance.