NCIC Chairperson Dr. Mzalendo Kibunjia declined to reveal the identity of the four but said they may be prosecuted after investigations are complete.
“We hope that the prosecution of those individuals will send a strong messageagainst hate-mongers on social media. Since there are millions of users and dealing with a few criminals will go a long way in bringing down the hate and criminalbehaviour online,” he said.
He warned that ethnic hatred being spewed out in the social media like Facebook and Twitter is threatening to plunge the country into violence.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, Kibunjia their efforts to stem hate speech online have led to the removal of hateful comments in a number of websites, but lamented that many of the targeted sites are hosted by servers in Europe and North America.
At the same time, NCIC has warned leaders of Jubilee Alliance and their rivals Coalition for Reforms and Democracy against undermining the Supreme Court by making polarising statements in public about the presidential petition.
Kibunjia said intensified political rhetoric about the disputed March 4 elections by President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga is rapidly polarising the country along ethnic lines and raising possibility of violence.
“We are concerned about the rhetoric of the two major candidates. The national wounds are still raw and it is no longer enough for leaders to merely call for peace, their every action must mirror their calls,” he said
He added: “We are speaking on behalf of the 12 million Kenyans who voted peacefully and would like peace to continue prevailing rather than having leaders take us back to an atmosphere that is not conducive for peace. Emotions are still high are easy prey to negative manipulation.”
In a statement, NCIC said that despite the peaceful elections, the country is not out of the woods yet saying that Kenyans are divided over the outcome, with one side declaring the polls as free and fair while another side is claiming it was flawed.
Kibunjia warned against dragging the name of the Supreme Court in the mud if their final ruling about the credibility of the March 4 polls does not suit either CORD or Jubilee saying respect for key institutions is a fundamental key in a democracy and to maintaining national stability.
“We urge leaders to respect institutions that we have created and allow the legal processes to address any shortcomings that may or may not have occurred during the elections. We intend to build a government of laws, not of men. Laws are implemented by institutions,” he said.
He called on Uhuru and Raila to actively promote national cohesion and embrace the entire country including those communities not deemed to have been their strongholds.
- The Standard
