NCIC warns against rising ethnic hate speech on social media

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has expressed concern over the escalating cases of ethnic hate speech on social media platforms.

In a statement Tuesday, NCIC Chairman Samuel Kobia revealed that the commission has intervened in 95 cases of hate speech on social media this year alone.

Kobia said majority of the cases appeared on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter), which accounted for 72 instances of hate speech.

The commission called on leaders to refrain from engaging in tribal politics that vilify other communities, pointing out the Tawe movement in Western Kenya and the one man, one vote, one shilling discourse in the Mt Kenya region as forms of political mobilization along ethnic lines.

“The Tawe movement in Western Kenya is political mobilization along ethnic lines. Which is why the commission summoned Governor Natambeya over his statements. At the same time the ethnic balkanization around the one man, one vote, one shilling is not only dividing leaders but is also creating unhealthy conversations around the privilege and development of some communities vs. others,” Kobia stated.

NCIC further condemned the use of derogatory terms like “tugeges” to describe supporters of certain political factions, labeling such language as hurtful, demeaning, and dehumanizing.

The commission noted that despite significant reduction in hate speech following the 2022 elections, 2024 has seen a resurgence of inflammatory rhetoric and threats of violence rooted in ethnic divisions.

“2024 has become a year full of hate speech and threat to violence based on ethnicity,” Kobia stated.

As Kenya joins the world in marking the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, the NCIC has urged Kenyans to engage in respectful dialogue on economic and social issues without resorting to hate speech and tribalism.

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