Court okays Raila hate speech case

A Nairobi court has allowed the prosecution of CORD leader Raila Odinga over alleged hate speech remarks he made at a rally in Kisumu.

Kibera Resident Magistrate Brian Khaemba, allowed petitioner Aron Pesa Shayo who filed the application on June 13, to proceed with the matter.

He directed Mr Shayo to serve the former Prime Minister and Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko with the order to commence private prosecution.

The petitioner who was represented by Kiharu MP Irungu Kangata, as his lawyer, was seeking the court's permission to prosecute Raila for alleged hate speech.

The Miscellaneous Criminal Application number 311 of 2014, was filed under a certificate of urgency.

Court documents show that Mr Kang'ata first wrote a letter on January 28, to the DPP on behalf of Shayo, indicating that Raila uttered inflammatory words at a rally allegedly attended by the petitioner on January 17, at Kenyatta Grounds in Kisumu.

The former PM is reported to have claimed that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission used the military to eject CORD agents from the national tallying centre at Bomas during the 2013 General Election.