Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma is in the eye of a storm over his shocking call for the government to ban the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) following its exposé on police brutality during the Gen Z demonstrations last year.
In a fit of recklessness, the legislator accused BBC Africa of publishing a “distorted and twisted” documentary, which risks destabilising Kenya.
Consequently, the second-term lawmaker said the broadcaster’s operating licence should be withdrawn.
The remarks by the legislator add to a growing list of reckless outbursts by a section of the political class, with some bordering on inflammatory and war-mongering.
Accusing the BBC of irresponsible journalism, the MP wondered why the President William Ruto’s government has not withdrawn the broadcaster’s operating licence after the harrowing exposé on how the police and Kenya Defence Forces officers killed demonstrators on June 25, 2024.
Demonstrator during anti-tax protests in Nairobi on June 20, 2024.
“It is unfortunate BBC Africa has not been sanctioned, over 24 hours after publishing that distorted documentary "Blood Parliament", which by its title, timing and twisted content, is clearly intended to destabilise Kenya,” posted Mr Kaluma on his X, formerly Twitter account.
“We shouldn't allow reckless journalists to use foreign media to destabilise Kenya. Sanction BBC Africa,” he added.
Mr Kaluma’s surprise outburst follows a documentary by the BBC titled “Blood Parliament” that unmasked alleged killer officers during the June 2024 Gen Z protests.
The 37-minute-long video follows months of investigations involving an analysis of thousands of images captured at the Parliament Building when the protesters, mostly youth, invaded Parliament over plans for more taxes.
Controversial remarks
Two days earlier, he had taken to the same platform to claim that Kikuyu numbers in the 2019 census do not exist, calling on the electoral agency to collapse the voters' register.
The development followed a court declaration for a repeat of the census in some three North Kenya counties after a successful challenge of the 2019 census.
“The Kikuyu numbers do not exist - FAKE census, FAKE vote register. MUST collapse the voter register and enlist Kenyans to vote afresh,” he said on April 27, 2025.
However, the MP’s remarks are not an isolated case as the country has witnessed a growing number of political leaders who have become notorious for their hateful comments and unprintable words.
Daadab MP Farah Maalim, Kapsaret’s Oscar Sudi, Suna East’s Junet Mohammed, Embakasi North’s James Gakuya and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya are some of the politicians who have recently been caught in the crossfire of reckless remarks.
MP Maalim was in January expelled as Wiper deputy party leader for using expletives and unprintable words against youths criticising the administration of President Ruto.
“When you see everything progressing and then some fools say ‘Kasongo Ruto must go.’ To hell with those who say that! Is he sitting in your mother’s or father’s seat? He is sitting in our seat, and we will re-elect him; we will deliver 99 percent or even 100 percent,” said Mr Maalim.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka criticised the lawmaker, terming his utterances as shameful.
“I condemn Farah Maalim's remarks in the strongest terms possible. I will advise him to resign and not wait to be thrown out. His actions were shameful,” Mr Musyoka said.
In what appears like the lawmaker’s modus operandi, at the height of Gen Z’s demonstrations, he was caught in an undated video claiming that if he were president, he would have wiped them out in their thousands.
He said the demonstrations by the youth were an attempted coup by “children of wealthy business owners and parents raised on ill-gotten wealth, with 80 percent of them being from one tribe”.
“God forbid. If I were president, I would have slaughtered them, 5,000 of them daily. Seriously, there is no two ways about it,” he said.
The July 2024 remarks led to public outrage, and the MP was even ejected from a Mombasa hotel, where he was staying at the time, following the controversial remarks.
He was subsequently summoned by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and ordered to record a statement on the same.
The Commission said the remarks were likely to incite feelings of contempt, hatred, hostility, violence, or discrimination and affect harmonious coexistence between groups of different political affiliations in Kenya.
Despite clear evidence that the video was unedited, the legislator dismissed it as doctored.
Just last week, he was at it again, having a go at Governor Natembeya for criticising the decision by President Ruto to relax strict vetting practices in northern Kenya.
Governor George Natembeya.
“Natembeya belongs somewhere else; he doesn’t belong to Kenya, by the way. His ideas are crooked, let him leave here and go somewhere else,” said Mr Maalim.
The Suna East MP joined Mr Maalim, saying Governor Natembeya does not even deserve to be a village elder, calling into question the governor’s background as a national administrator.”
“I came to realise that the training of a person is important in life. Someone of the people who have gone through provincial administration. The governor was a former regional commissioner and I know the culture that goes on there…,” he said.
Governor Natembeya had cautioned that the policy shift could enable individuals linked to outlawed terror groups to enter Kenya, acquire identification documents, and even contest elective positions.
“This directive has serious security implications. If implemented recklessly, we may reach a point where even an MCA (Member of County Assembly) is elected from outlawed groups,” said Mr Natembeya.
“Those who once abducted our chiefs will now be issued Kenyan national identity cards. This means that when they continue with their criminal activities, they will do so as legally recognised citizens,” he added.
Speaking during a rally in Kibirech, Elgeyo Marakwet County recently, MP Kapsaret made snide remarks targeting a certain community, saying “no one should feel entitled to lead Kenyans since anyone can be President”.
“You know those who think that it is only them who should be leading the country. No! Even a Luhya, Turkana can lead the country. Any Kenyan has the ability to lead,” he said.
He went on in the same event to describe church leaders opposed to political tokens to the church as “cartels”.
“These Fathers down here have no problem. It is a few Bishops at the national level who have a problem. They are cartels and cartels are everywhere,” the MP said.
Exacerbating issues, he called on the President to appoint him as Interior Minister and within three days, he would have cracked down on youth criticising the government online.
Some months ago, the MP accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of some sinister plans during opposition protests in 2023.
Embakasi North MP James Mwangi Gakuya.
“You know what you wanted to do during the opposition protest. If we had not been clever and stopped you, we would not have a country right now. You know what you were pushing for in Serena. Please stay at home. That's where you are supposed to be because you are a very dangerous man,” he said.
Embakasi North MP James Gakuya was last year also in the eye of a storm last year after he made offensive remarks in his native language, appearing to incite Kenyans against members of a certain community by allegedly labelling them "outsiders" who should not buy properties in Nairobi.
The MP has even been summoned by the NCIC for questioning over incitement remarks he has uttered that border on incitement.
