Mumias East MP Peter Salasya is expected to appear before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) this morning, in connection with allegations of ethnic hate speech.
The lawmaker is under scrutiny for comments he allegedly posted on social media on May 10, which prosecutors say were designed to inflame tensions between the Luo and Luhya communities. The posts landed him in court on May 19, where he was formally charged with hate speech.
According to the charge sheet, Salasya’s remarks were not only offensive and inciting, but also seen as a deliberate attempt to fuel ethnic hostility, a violation of Section 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the National Cohesion and Integration Act of 2008.
He is set to present himself at the NCIC headquarters at 11 a.m. today as part of the ongoing investigations.
The NCIC has voiced growing concern about the rising tide of political intolerance in Kenya. Chairperson Dr. Samuel Kobia, in a recent address, decried the shift in political dialogue warning that public platforms are increasingly being misused to spread division instead of unity.
“Leaders must understand that words carry weight,” Kobia warned, vowing firm action against anyone regardless of status who breaches the law and undermines national harmony.
Salasya is not alone. The Commission is currently monitoring several politicians suspected of engaging in similar inflammatory rhetoric. The warning is clear: Kenya’s political stage must not become a theatre for hate.
