NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 18 – Homa Bay Town MP George Kaluma has challenged a summons issued by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), disputing the transcription and translation of remarks attributed to him and asking the commission to provide what he termed the correct version before he responds.
In a letter dated August 18, Kaluma acknowledged receipt of the summons issued by the NCIC on August 17, in which he had been required to appear before the commission on Wednesday, August 19.
Kaluma, who sits in the Speaker’s panel in the National Assembly, said he would be unable to honour the summons on the scheduled date because of what he described as unavoidable State duties.
“I have received your summons dated 17th day of August 2026,” Kaluma said in the letter addressed to the NCIC.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) summoned Homa Bay Town MP George Kaluma over remarks he allegedly made in Homa Bay on Saturday, August 15, a day before the Linda Mwananchi political rally that was marred by violence.
According to reports, the commission is investigating remarks in which Kaluma allegedly warned against the use of the phrase “one-term” in Homa Bay and threatened action against hotels that hosted individuals associated with the “one-term” political camp.
The remarks, which were reportedly made in Luo, were flagged by the NCIC as potentially capable of causing tension and undermining national cohesion.
He, however, raised a substantive objection to the material on which the summons was based, arguing that both the transcription and translation of his alleged utterances were inaccurate.
“Do note that both the transcription and the translation of the utterances attributed to me are erroneous. Kindly provide the correct transcription and translation and revert herewith for my response,” he said.
Kaluma asked the commission to reschedule his appearance to a date after August 27.
Despite challenging the summons, the MP said he was willing to appear before the commission and assist it in carrying out its statutory mandate.
“Remain assured that I relish the opportunity to appear before you and assist the Commission in the discharge of its statutory mandate for the benefit of our country,” he said.
The development came as Kaluma spoke to journalists on Tuesday, where he maintained that he had no objection to investigations into the remarks attributed to him but insisted that any inquiry should be based on the full and accurate context of what was said.
Kaluma said calls for investigations should not be interpreted as an attempt to evade scrutiny, arguing that he was prepared to respond to the allegations once the material forming the basis of the summons was properly presented.
He also took issue with what he described as the twisting of his remarks by sections of the media, saying statements should be considered in their entirety rather than isolated from the context in which they were made.
The MP’s response comes amid heightened political tensions and scrutiny over remarks by political leaders, with the NCIC increasingly coming under pressure to investigate statements deemed capable of undermining national cohesion or inciting hostility.
The commission has powers under the National Cohesion and Integration Act to investigate complaints relating to ethnic discrimination and hate speech and to summon individuals where necessary in the execution of its mandate.
Kaluma’s demand for a corrected transcript and translation places the accuracy of the evidence at the centre of the dispute, setting the stage for a potentially contentious appearance before the commission after August 27.
The summons required Kaluma to appear before the commission on Wednesday, August 19, to assist with ongoing investigations. The NCIC reportedly warned that failure to honour the summons could lead to further action, including arrest.
The inquiry came amid heightened political tensions in Homa Bay ahead of the Linda Mwananchi rally, where clashes between rival groups left several people injured and, according to subsequent reports, resulted in deaths.
