Stop double standards in hate speech cases

Over the last few years, the vibrancy of social media has been evident in Kenya with increased usage of favourite sites - Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram. Social media has provided a platform on which individuals express themselves and share ideas from the comforts of their homes and offices. It has bridged the gap between destinations far removed. To some extent, social media has beaten traditional media houses by conveying news instantly.

While this is a positive move that makes communication easier and affordable, a negative side has emerged that threatens to polarise the country along tribal lines. Towards the end of last year, several bloggers were taken to court on allegations of spreading hate speech. The Government has issued several warnings against the misuse of social media, but in the absence of legislation regulating social media usage, such warnings are largely ineffective except in the occasional instances where some users who run online news outlets are known to the authorities.