The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has warned politicians against breaking elections and spewing hate speech ahead of the forthcoming by-elections.
NCIC Chairman Samuel Kobia said that he learnt very valuable lessons in the just concluded Msambweni by-elections which were marred with obscenities and indecent language during the campaigns.
“The Msambweni by-election is still very fresh on our minds. We analysed every detail of it and we will use lessons learnt during by-elections in Matungu, Kabuchai, Nairobi and Machakos,” Kobia said.
The toothless NCIC promised to punish politicians who will threaten peaceful co-existence of Kenyans as they drum up support for their candidates.
Kobia warned politicians who will incite people against each to be prepared to face serious punishment and pay heavy penalties.
“We have always been told that we are a dog that cannot bite. I want to assure Kenyans that we will not just be summoning those who will go against the law, we will be taking action against them as well,” he added.
His warning comes as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is preparing to conduct a by-election in Nairobi County, Kabuchai and Matungu constituencies in early 2021.
The residents of Nairobi will head to the polls on February 18, 2021, to elect a new governor after Mike Sonko was impeached last week.
The campaigns to the Nairobi by-elections will officially start on January 18, 2021 and end on February 15, 2021.
IEBC has also set March 4, 2021, as the date for the Matungu Constituency by-election which will be held together with five ward by-elections.
But the electoral body is still waiting for Machakos and Kabuchai seats to be declared vacant after the deaths of Boniface Kabaka and James Mukwe Lusweti respectively.
NCIC had recently summoned the outspoken ODM secretary Edwin Sifuna and Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa Sifuna to record statements after they exchanged nasty remarks in the run up to Msambweni by-election.
Sifuna appeared before the commission on Monday followed by Jumwa on Tuesday. They both apologized and walked home free.
But serious concerns have been raised by a section of political leaders that Kabuchai parliamentary by-election is promising to be chaotic after the recent clashes of Ford-K followers during a church service.
