NCIC coy about date Raila will appear over his ‘madoadoa’ remarks
Azimio la Umoja presidential aspirant Raila Odinga. NCIC has maintained that he must appear before it over his ‘madoadoa’ remarks, although the agency was tight-lipped about the exact date.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has maintained that Azimio la Umoja presidential aspirant Raila Odinga must appear before it over his ‘madoadoa’ remarks, although the agency was tight-lipped about the exact date.
NCIC said investigations into the alleged hate speech were almost complete.
NCIC spokesperson Olive Metet said the team looking into the matter had spoken with Mr Odinga’s aides.
“We are directly working with (Mr Odinga’s) team and we shall inform the public in due course. If you see a client taking that long, then it means he wants to appear in person, otherwise he would have sent a lawyer a long time ago,” Ms Metet said.
The new development comes after Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said police and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) would not arrest any politician for hate speech until after the elections.
Sympathy votes
The PS added that the government would not spend resources chasing after politicians who deliberately break the law in order to win sympathy votes.
But Ms Metet explained that on Friday last week, investigators met with Mr Odinga’s team as the two sides worked on a date for him to appear before the NCIC.
“He (Mr Odinga) confirmed that he will come and definitely he will, but I cannot share the exact date for obvious reasons. The investigators do not want to share much details because this kind of a person attracts a lot of attention,” she said.
NCIC chairperson Samuel Kobia had two weeks ago confirmed the ODM leader was cooperative, saying he willingly agreed to appear before them to account for his utterances once he arrived back from his recent trip to the UK.
Mr Odinga was summoned by NCIC on March 11 over his 'madoadoa' remarks made in Wajir during an Azimio la Umoja rally.
Apologised
He apologised two days later at a rally in Kisumu, dismissing claims that his statements were meant to incite, discriminate against or pit communities against each other ahead of the General Election. He insisted that his words were taken out of context by some people.
Earlier this month, Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki was summoned by NCIC over comments he allegedly made in February. He is alleged to have threatened former Chuka University vice-chancellor Erastus Njoka, who is contesting the Tharaka Nithi gubernatorial seat.
Mr Mbiuki has since denied uttering any inflammatory remarks directed at his opponent.
In January, Meru Senator Mithika Linturi was set free by a Nakuru court after prosecutors failed to bring charges against him over his ‘madoadoa’ remarks made on January 8 at a UDA rally in Eldoret.
