NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 14 – Kapsaret lawmaker Oscar Sudi is set to face two counts of hate speech and an additional charge on offensive conduct when he appears in court on Monday following his surrender and subsequent arrest by the police on Sunday.
Sudi was grilled by detectives from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) in reference to remarks he made that authorities said could have resulted in breach of peace.
The vocal legislator is also accused of hurling insults at President Uhuru Kenyatta’s mother, Mama Ngina.
Efforts to arrest the vocal lawmaker on Friday night were blocked by a section of residents who barricaded the Kapseret-Eldoret road leading to his residence.
Sudi later presented himself at the Kapseret Sub-County Police headquarters on Sunday morning from where he was flown to Nakuru using a police helicopter.
Sudi’s remarks mirrored those made by Emukua Dikirr lawmaker Johanna Ng’eno who faced hate speech and incitement charges. He was later freed on bail.
The Kapseret MP however remained adamant on his refusal to apologize for remarks targeting President Kenyatta’s family saying, “Kenya does not belong to them.”
Deputy President William Ruto had prevailed upon politicians to quit insults amid a resurgence in name-calling pitting his supporters against the President’s.
“Leaders should exercise restraint and avoid insults and bad language against other Kenyans. Unsavoury words against mothers and Head of State is a NO, NO. No amount of anger justifies use of offensive insulting language. There exists decent ways to communicate however one feels,” the DP tweeted on September 7.
Sudi and Ng’eno accused President Kenyatta of sidelining Ruto in an administration he campaigned selflessly to ascend to power, saying the second in command had be reduces to a squatter in a government he was elected to serve.
Senators Susan Kihika (Nakuru) and Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) as well as MPs Aisha Jumwa (Malindi), Nelson Koech (Belgut), Dismus Barasa (Kimilili), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and Kimani Inchungwa (Kikuyu) were expected to attend Sudi’s arraignment.
