Activist wants Boniface Mwangi charged with hate speech

An activist has moved to court seeking orders to prosecute fellow activist Boniface Mwangi over alleged hate speech.

Victor Yegon wants the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Criminal Investigations compelled to lodge a case against Mr Mwangi.

Mr Yegon also wants Mwangi charged with breach of public peace and stopped from further publishing inciting comments on his social media pages.

Through lawyer, Ham Langat, Yegon claims that Mwangi has been using his social media platform to fan ethnic violence and incite the public contrary to the National Cohesion and Integration Act.

He submits that during the Willy Kimani (the murdered human rights lawyer) protests, Mwangi maliciously poured a red substance on police Spokesman Charles Owino, an act which is punishable in law for breach of public peace.

"Mwangi's conduct should not go unpunished. His actions are enough evidence that the offence of hate speech and public peace has arisen and should not be left without legal consequence," said Yegon.

He adds that unless the court issues orders, there will be continuous degeneration as well as constitutional breach of peace.

The activist claims that Mwangi has continued to polarise the country and create ethnic animosity, which if left unchecked, will destroy peace within the country.

"The peace of mosaic communities in Rift Valley and across the country is at stake because of the unfortunate and loose conduct of Mwangi who is abusing freedom of expression," said Yegon.

Deputy President William Ruto recently filed a case against Mwangi because of tweets he posted seemingly accusing him of murder, corruption and land grabbing.