A viral Nairobi pastor could soon find himself within the confines of a police cell after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) ordered his probe.
In a statement, the ODPP directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to commence immediate investigations against the preacher over allegations of fanning ethnic discord.
In a video that has since featured widely on the internet, the preacher could be heard making allegedly outrageous, provocative sentiments against some ethnic groups in Kenya.
He is accused of contemptuously narrowing his preaching to a specific community that lives in the suburbs of Nairobi city.
"I will make myself part of the people who have started the struggle for the liberation of the Kikuyu. I will tell these people that our enemy is not Ruto, our enemy is the Somalis..." the preacher could be heard saying.
“While Kikuyus are fighting Luos, Woriahs are taking over Kenya," the preacher added.
The nature and extent of the pastor’s inflammatory statements sparked outrage from a section of Kenyans, prompting action from the ODPP.
"Very sad indeed, if this is the kind of preaching in the mainstream church, then action should be taken," suggested an online user.
"I think it's high time the DCI should wage a prosecution for this kind of hateful speech,2 another commented.
According to the prosecutors, the preacher's remarks could incite ethnic contempt, hatred, hostility, violence, or discrimination among Kenyans.
While calling for a probe, the ODPP noted the investigations would be carried out jointly with officials from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
Upon completion of the investigations, the officers would then forward the resultant investigation inquiry files for perusal and advice.
