Jubilee summons Senator Mwaura as ODM reports him for hate speech

Jubilee and ODM parties have launched a twin attack on nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura over disloyalty to his party and alleged incitement of the public to violence.

The Jubilee disciplinary committee has summoned the senator to appear before it for violating the party’s constitution by "pledging allegiance to another party, acting in a manner that is disloyal to Jubilee party and contravening the Jubilee party code of conduct”.

On the other hand, the ODM party has written a formal complaint to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) over Mr Mwaura's utterances, which it says border on incitement to violence.

Jubilee disciplinary committee chairman Lumatete Muchai confirmed that Mr Mwaura had been summoned following a complaint lodged by party chairman Nelson Dzuya.

Mr Mwaura is accused that on December 31, 2020, in Msambweni Constituency, he acted contrary to conduct expected of a Jubilee member when he publicly announced his allegiance to the United Democratic Alliance party during the homecoming party of the newly elected Msambweni MP Feisal Bader.

Another party's branding material

He is also accused of wearing another party's branding material other than that of Jubilee; proclaiming that the Jubilee party is dead through the Kenya Diaspora Media USA on April 22, 2020; and "...stating on Citizen TV on January 14, 2020, that Jubilee party is dead, it is not a party but a name, a song and two or three colours."

The nominated senator, according to the charge sheet dated February 1, 2021, is also targeted for stating on his Twitter handle on April 16, 2020, that "Jubilee is … comatose and therefore functionally dead."

ODM also wants action taken on the senator.

"Just a week ago, nominated senator Isaac Mwaura was captured on video inciting violence ahead of a visit by the Rt Hon Raila Odinga to Githurai," says the letter, partly authored by ODM Disability League chairperson Nickson Kakiri and dated February 1.

"He had both a tribal and class message; that people of Hon Odinga's tribe were not welcome to Githurai and that the so-called hustlers should rise up (sic) and defeat the dynasties ..."

Bloodshed

The letter to the boss of DCI, Mr George Kinoti and the NCIC chairman, Dr Samuel Kobia, adds: "Predictably, radicalised youths appeared at Hon Odinga's rally to disrupt it and it is only the discipline of our own (sic) supporters and Hon Odinga's perennial preaching of peace that saved the day from being one of bloodshed."

"The silence and inaction of your two institutions thus far in the face of the divisive narrative by Tangatanga generally, and specifically, to Hon Mwaura's words and conduct send three key messages -- that you lack the capacity to investigate and prosecute even crimes whose evidence is splashed on TV, that you are complicit by your actions and silence and that there are now divided loyalties within your institutions, making you unable to sustain your oath to defend the Constitution of this great republic."

Mr Kakiri also describes Mr Mwaura as a "thankless human being who will burn this country at the slightest opportunity."

The ODM's terse letter adds that Mr Mwaura's ability to "incite ethnic violence and actually visit the ground to conduct it, negates the principle for which affirmative action gives the (senate nomination) slot to people with disabilities (PWDs). The violence he instigates indeed has the potential to produce new PWDs."

"Act now or throw the country to the dogs," ODM tells the DCI and NCIC in the letter.