The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has listed Deputy President William Ruto’s campaign slogan ‘Hatupangwingwi’ among the 19 lexicon words that it described as hate speech.
Speaking to journalists in Nairobi on Friday, April 8, NCIC Chairman Samuel Kobia said that just like ‘Madoadoa’, ‘hatupangwingwi’ is among the words that have the potential to incite violence ahead of the much-awaited 2022 General Election.
“We have therefore taken the bull by its horns through this exercise of identifying terms and coded language that have been commonly used in Kenya’s political landscape with the intent to incite violence against various communities of differing political stances,” said Kobia.
He said the words have been outlawed stating that politicians who would be found using the said terms will not only be listed on the commissions’ wall of shame but will also face the full wrath of the law.
According to Kobia, the list of 19 words including ‘Chunga Kura’, ‘kama noma noma’, ‘kwekwe’, and ‘watajua hawajui’ among others will be regularly updated.
“As such, this remains a living document since the terms and the coded language shall be regularly updated for use in the social media tracking of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission,” he said.
The Kenya Kwanza presidential flag bearer has been using the term ‘hatupangwingwi’ meaning Kenyans must be allowed to elect leaders of their choice without being intimidated, choreographed, or blackmailed by the ‘Deep State’.
“…that is the matter that is on the ballot, a matter that many Kenyas, in fact, if you understand a little bit of Swahili, that is what informs the current push by Kenyans to say ‘hatupangwingwi’ meaning, we want to make our own choices without being intimidated, choreographed or blackmailed,” said Ruto.
