CORD, Jubilee legislators detained over hate speech

All the eight legislators who were accused of hate speech have been detained for four days at Muthaiga, Gigiri and Pangani police stations.

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama, Busia Women Representative Florence Mutua, Kilifi Women Representative Aisha Jumwa and MPs Timothy Bosire, (Kitutu Masaba), Junet Mohammed (Suna East), Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete) and Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati) were arraigned in court on Tuesday afternoon to answer to charges of hate speech.

The case will be mentioned on June 17, 2016.

Kuria has been on the receiving end of public criticism after a video showed him making pronouncements that have been alleged to amount to or border on hate speech.

In the recording, Kuria said: “No emenyerere, ona mbembe no arie, tutigutorio thinaine ni mundu umue. Na arie mbembe tumuthike jumatatu iria ingi, maikie mahiga wiki imwe na Kenya ithii na mbere . Okoruo ni haro me kwenda niyo me kuona. Mwire raila ona mbembe no arie na thii ihore na tuthii na no menda thayu moke tuarie tuikare wega IEBC yenda guthii ithii okoruo tii uguo mathii ma kiumaga.”

Loosely translated: “…he (Raila) should be careful because he can still bite the bullet. We won’t be troubled by one person forever. He can as well bite the bullet and we bury him next Monday. His protesters will throw stones for just one week and life continues.”

In a response on Monday, Aisha Juma, Junet and Bosire said they would marshal their supporters to fight back if they are attacked by Jubilee supporters.

The leaders condemned Saturday’s violence that broke out in Nakuru on Saturday during the visit by CORD leader Raila Odinga, accusing Governor Kinuthia Mbugua and a host of other Jubilee legislators of being behind the incident where Jubilee and CORD supporters clashed.

“Kenyans, and ODM supporters in particular, will not simply turn the other cheek. If this madness does not stop we leaders of ODM will be left with no option but to ask our supporters to be prepared and ready to defend themselves,” read the statement released by ODM, read by Bosire.

“Mr President we want you to ensure Moses Kuria, Kinuthia Mbugua, Maina Kamanda and Ferdinand Waititu are arrested and charged, otherwise we will take the law into our hands the way you have allowed your people to do.”

More to follow…