A multi-agency team made up of top government officials has revealed plans to tame the worrying trend of hate speech in the country.
During a press briefing on Monday, October 25, Chief Justice Martha Koome, stated that a multi-agency team had proposed the formulation of specialized courts to handle hate speech cases in the country.
Koome disclosed that the courts were targeted for areas that were considered as hot spots with the program to be piloted in five counties.
"We are concerned about issues of hate speech and I have received a request, which I will put this to the leadership committee of the judiciary, is a request to set up specialized courts to deal with cases of hate speech."
"We are looking to set up this in five locations such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, and if need be we will identify other hot spots to operationalize a court there to ensure that cases are handled expeditiously," the CJ stated.
In addition, the CJ noted that there were several pending election cases in the courts, further directing judicial officers to handle the cases in the next 90 days. She explained that the cases would affect the preparation of the polls.
"There are several cases that are still pending in the judiciary, I do not know why, but they impact the conduct of free and fair elections both the processes and the law. We will ask the judges in those dockets to determine the case as soon as possible. And in any event, within 90 days," she directed.
At the same presser, Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i, disclosed that the government would monitor political activities with a keen focus on the political actors.
He also confirmed that the eight people who were apprehended for disrupting Deputy President Willian Ruto's rally had been arraigned in court.
"We have noted cases of some skirmishes in parts of the country. No one is allowed to do this. We have taken people from Busia to court. We have also taken a senator to court this morning over an incident that happened in Nanyuki," the CS disclosed.
The interior CS also added that the government would petition the Independent Electoral and the Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to block politicians engaged in campaign skirmishes.
"We need to emphasize to our leaders that they will take personal responsibility for the actions that they get some of their supporters to be involved in. Where need be, we will be presenting both to the relevant agencies evidence and information that we have of individual political actors who are engaged in incitement,"
"We will petition the IEBC to disqualify some of these people from contesting political offices and we promised this morning that in the event that we will have to do that, we will present credible and accurate information to the IEBC," he stated.
The multi-agency team was meeting with IEBC led by the chairman, Wafula Chebukati.
