Aladwa arrested over hate speech claims

Former Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa has been arrested over alleged hate remarks he made during a rally on Mashujaa day over outcome of the next general election.

Aladwa, who is also the Nairobi ODM party chair was arrested on Friday morning at Railway Club by CID officers and is being held at Kilimani police station.

This comes after the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko ordered Aladwa be questioned and speedy investigations be conducted into the remarks deemed to call for chaos should Cord Leader Raila Odinga’s victory be stolen if he wins the 2017 poll.

The Former Nairobi Mayor has however insisted his utterances at the Tuesday opposition Cord rally in Kibra were taken out of context.

Aladwa has been widely condemned for the utterances made at the Kibera rally. His address is said to have incited Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) supporters to violence during the 2017 elections.

The clip, which is circulating on social media, shows the ODM Nairobi Chair telling the attendants at a rally to resort to violence should party leader Raila Odinga not win the 2017 elections.

“2017 imekaribia na sisi kama watu wa ODM tumebaki na risasi moja…this time round the outcome of the election ikiwa tumeshinda na watunyang’anye wacha kiumane..Raila ndio awe President lazima watu wakufe kiasi…” Aladwa is seen as saying.

(Translation: “2017 is near and as ODM we are left with one bullet. This time round if Raila Odinga wins and he is denied victory through rigging of the elections things will turn ugly. People must die for Raila to become president…”)

In a desperate attempt to downplay the gravity of the situation, Aladwa issued a statement saying his utterances were misconstrued adding that he meant the deaths would be a result of joy and not violence.