Why politicians will not be arrested for hatespeech until after September - Kibicho explains
By Judy Jerono
The National Police Service (NPS) has stated it will arrest politicians for hate speech and other related offences from September 2022, that is after the general election to avoid sympathy votes.
According to reports, the police force stopped the dramatic arrests as the August 9 General Elections approach, upon realizing such arrests are winning certain candidates sympathy votes.
Speaking during an interview, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said the police will not effect arrests on hate speech and other related offences saying such arrests only served to make offences even more popular.
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File image of Interior Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]
“We will not arrest you to give you sympathy votes. Keep breaking the law, we will catch up with you in September. The government never forgets…There are some politicians who are daring, so much that they would actually try to poke the government in the eye so that they are arrested to boost their popularity,” Kibicho said
Investigative agencies, particularly the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), have been on the limelight with some politicians accusing the agencies of enforcing the law selectively to manage political equations.
The decision came after arrests which were at some point condemned by former Chief Justice David Maraga who criticized the police for not doing thorough investigations.
“I want DPP, EACC and police to bring rigour into their work if they expect the Judges and Magistrates to find in their favour. Trafficking accused persons to court to manage political pressure when investigations are not concluded or when those investigations are sloppily or casually done or accusing the wrong officers or drawing faulty charge sheets – all of which are intended or devised to fail the case and blame the courts should come to an end,” said Maraga.
The police were criticised at the height of Covid-19 restrictions when they disrupted other political meetings and allowed political meetings of those in favour with the government to continue undisrupted.
File image of Interior Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]
“We will not arrest you to give you sympathy votes. Keep breaking the law, we will catch up with you in September. The government never forgets…There are some politicians who are daring, so much that they would actually try to poke the government in the eye so that they are arrested to boost their popularity,” Kibicho said
Investigative agencies, particularly the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), have been on the limelight with some politicians accusing the agencies of enforcing the law selectively to manage political equations.
The decision came after arrests which were at some point condemned by former Chief Justice David Maraga who criticized the police for not doing thorough investigations.
“I want DPP, EACC and police to bring rigour into their work if they expect the Judges and Magistrates to find in their favour. Trafficking accused persons to court to manage political pressure when investigations are not concluded or when those investigations are sloppily or casually done or accusing the wrong officers or drawing faulty charge sheets – all of which are intended or devised to fail the case and blame the courts should come to an end,” said Maraga.
The police were criticised at the height of Covid-19 restrictions when they disrupted other political meetings and allowed political meetings of those in favour with the government to continue undisrupted. What's Your Reaction?
