President Uhuru Kenyatta puts hatemongers on notice ahead of polls

NAIROBI: President Uhuru Kenyatta has vowed to marshal State agencies to crack down on all politicians who engage in incitement and those flouting election rules.

His order to the authorities is that they should “vigorously enforce” all the laws that guide elections, discipline in political parties, the conduct of politicians and their activities.

The President is also banking on the controversial communications law — the Kenya Information Communications Act — to deal with the “negative ethnic regulations and abuse of social media”. The goal of the new measures is “to ensure the right and freedom to information does not result to incitement, violence and hate-speech”.

POLITICAL TENSIONS

In a report filed with MPs, the President said he will form a special team that will guarantee a peaceful election in August next year.

“The government shall put in place an inter-agency committee to ensure a peaceful electoral process before, during and after the 2017 General Election,” the President said in the 160-page report.

The Head of State noted that he was aware of the political tensions that rise as the country hurtles towards the next General Election needed to be carefully managed to ensure national unity.

“As the date for the next General Election draws near, politicians and persons seeking political leadership positions have commenced activities aimed at mobilising support that take ethnic and regional inclinations that threaten national unity,” President Kenyatta told MPs in his report.

The President expects institutions like the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the National Police Service, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko and the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u to help keep the country peaceful.

The vow is that “the government ...shall vigorously enforce existing electoral laws and other related policies, regulations to manage political parties’ and political leaders’ activities and conduct”.