Nkaissery orders for investigation of Senator Muthama over hate speech

Machakos Senator and Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) luminary Johnstone Muthama is a troubled man after the Interior Ministry ordered for investigations into his speech on Wednesday that is said to propagate hatred and incite Kenyans to violence.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Major Gen. (Rtd.) Joseph Nkaissery ordered for immediate investigations into the allegations of hate speech against the Senator who has been accused of undermining the Office of the President.

On Wednesday, during a CORD rally in solidarity with the striking teachers, Senator Muthama allegedly attacked President Uhuru Kenyatta and Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru verbally, something that has elicited mixed reactions from the opposing political factions with the CORD coalition supporting him while the ruling Jubilee side calling for his immediate arrest.

Muthama, who is known for making blunt remarks against the Kenyatta administration, has been accused of insulting the Office of the President as well as the person of the Head of State.

According to the letter signed by Nkaissery from Texas, U.S., “Mr. Muthama has made a habit of verbally attacking state officers in a manner that is intended to undermine cohesion and national unity for political gain”.

The letter reads in part; “Such conduct should not be confused for the rights of expression that every Kenyan is guaranteed. It is, therefore, imperative that investigations into the speech and its intent begin in earnest.”

The Interior CS further directed that the Senator records a statement with the Criminal Investigations Department.

Nkaissery said that Mr. Muthama is being investigated for five counts including pronouncements that call for unconstitutional change of government, calling Kenyans to violence, and readiness to “die to defend their rights”. Nkaissery says this call is extremely serious because it contravenes the basic tenets of the constitution.

He is also being investigated, according to CS Nkaissery, for claims that imply the President interfered with the constitutional dispensation of the Republic of Burundi and undermining authority of a public officer by insinuating that the President is not protecting the people of Kenya.

“Respect to the President is imperative that anchors the legitimacy of government. That an elected official, a member of the Senate no less, would choose to unfairly and misleadingly make such inflammatory statement should not pass without action.”

Further, Nkaissery said that Mr. Muthama should be investigated for “pronouncements that are defaming through use of salacious, obscene, indecent, crude, lewd, vulgar language against a state officer and undermining the National Cohesion and Integration Act, section 13 by describing the President as intent to ensure children of the poor continue to suffer.”

The CS argued that the pronouncements are choreographed to stir up ethnic hatred against the President in view of his purported preferences.