Muthama in trouble again over alleged hate remarks

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama

Nairobi: The Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko has directed the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to probe Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama after police recommended that he be charged with ethnic contempt.

This was after the Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro sent a probe file to the DPP over remarks Muthama made on Monday during the homecoming of the area Woman Representative Florence Mutua.

Tobiko Thursday called for speedy investigations into the alleged offensive remarks by the Senator and the file returned for appropriate action to be taken.

In the file, the DCI has recommended that Muthama be charged with the offence of ethnic contempt contrary to section 62(1) of the National Cohesion and Integration Act No.12 of 2008.

“As the matter falls under the mandate of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, the DPP has forwarded the inquiry file to the said commission and directed that the suspect be immediately interrogated and speedy investigations conducted into the offensive utterances,” said deputy DPP Nicholas Mutuku in a statement.

Muthama has been in trouble before over public utterances.

Muthama is among eight legislators who were held in police custody for four days and charged over hate speech. The legislators had, upon release, committed to launch a campaign calling for unity among all Kenyans.

In September 2015, he recorded a statement at the DCI over comments he made about President Uhuru Kenyatta and then Devolution Cabinet secretary Anne Waiguru.

In October the same year, he was charged in a Nairobi court over utterances he had made at an Uhuru Park rally "indicating that it was desirable to bring death and physical injury to persons in Kenya."

On Wednesday, Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet warned politicians against spewing hatred, saying they will be arrested and ultimately get prosecuted.

“We will not tire in taking immediate action against anybody who wants to stir trouble in this country by making reckless statements,” he said.

He said police officers are under firm instructions to arrest any hate speech culprit regardless of their political or social status.

 “When you become a guest of any of our facility, we don’t make exception to anyone. You will enjoy the same privileges that are available to any other Kenyan who is our guest,” he said.