NCIC to Release List of Terms Considered Hate Speech

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) is planning to release a list of terms that could potentially inflame ethnic tensions before the August 2022 polls.

NCIC Chairman Samuel Kobia, the exercise will reduce incidents in which local politicians and Kenyans in general use the terms recklessly without considering their broader impact on the country’s political climate.

“We are going to publish a list of Kiswahili, English, and vernacular words that constitute coded hate speech.” Kobia said in a press conference on Friday.

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“This will go a long way in containing hate speech and ensuring that our nation is secure during the electioneering period.”

Kobia said the commission would continue monitoring content in radio, TV and social media while working closely with stakeholders to enforce laws meant to curb hate speech which could lead to political violence in the country.

“We are also in talks with the Inter-religious Council of Kenya with whom we will meet next week to craft peace messages that will be read out in churches, mosques and temples to make sure the whole country receives messages of peace on a regular basis,’’ said Kobia.

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“NCIC will update Kenyans on the state of peace and political decency as we move to the August 9 elections.”

He however said that NCIC needs high-end media monitoring equipment to aid in the surveillance, but he underlined that they would  make due with its current assets and those of other key parties for now.

In the same forum, Kobia said that the commission was monitoring at least 36 Azimio la Umoja and Kenya Kwanza Bloggers who are deemed notorious for spreading hate speech.

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