Senator Abdi Bule charged with ethnic contempt as Kabogo is probed

Tana River Senator Ali Abdi Bule has been charged with incitement to violence.

Senator Bule, who appeared before Mombasa Principal Magistrate Diana Mochache, was charged with ethnic contempt, incitement to violence and disobedience of the law.

Bule, who was released on a Ksh 1 million bond or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 500,000 with a surety of a similar amount, was accused that on July 15^th this year, he issued eviction threats to members of a particular community in the area.

Despite denying the charges, Mr. Bule was ordered to refrain from making further remarks that may spur ethnic hatred among communities living in the area.

The Senator was grilled by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) saying his remarks could have been the cause of violence in early August where close to 2,000 people were displaced from their homes.

“We have summoned Senator Bule to help us with information following the clashes in his county,” NCIC Vice Chairperson Irene Wanyoike was quoted by the Standard Newspaper.

“The commission has been on the ground to talk with locals over what is going on and the information we have is that Mr. Bule can help us with important information concerning the clashes.”

The case will come up for a mention mid this month.

The charging of Senator Bule piles to the many already filed and ongoing cases against political leaders over alleged hate speech, ethnic contempt, incitement to violence and disregard of the law.

This comes even as the Inspector General of Police Joseph Kipchichir Boinett, DPP Keriako Tobiko, NCIC and other line state agents are under pressure to arrest and prosecute Kiambu Governor William Kabogo for making remarks that are deemed inciting.

Kabogo, on Sunday, is alleged to have made remarks that are against the national healing and reconciliation process. The Kiambu Governor, who said that he has enough money to hire lawyers, is accused to have put on notice a particular community he accused of mounting unnecessary pressure on the government.

Kabogo adds to the list of Senators Johnstone Muthama (Machakos), Isaac Melly (Uasin Gishu), Moses Wetangula (Bungoma), political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi, and political activist Japheth Muroko among others.

The DPP has, however, ordered Mr. Boinett and the NCIC to carry out speedy investigations into Kabogo’s case and forward his file to his office for further action.

He asked the two to analyze the content of the Governor’s clip making rounds on social media and make recommendations based on the findings.