The Coast Regional Commissioner John Elungata has issued a stern warning to those inciting violence and sharing inflammatory messages on social media in the run up to the August 2022 General Election.
Mr Elungata said the state will deal mercilessly with those instigating ethnic hatred and incitement to violence regardless of their status in life.
The RC said the government was monitoring social media platforms and that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was on the lookout for any criminality perpetrated online.
He also said hate speech will come under intense focus as the country moves towards next year’s high stakes General Election.
The administrator advised politicians and opinion leaders to desist from hate speech that could inflame passions and create animosity among the diverse communities in the region.
“We urge the residents to resist being used by rogue politicians and ethnic demagogues to disrupt peace and tranquility in the county,” he said, adding that Kenyans should cherish the peace they have and refuse to be lured into electoral violence by self-seeking politicians and ethnic demagogues.
Elungata who is also the chairman of the regional security and intelligence committee directed the security agencies in the region to be on the lookout for persons with the intention to incite violence for selfish political gains.
“The DCI will be monitoring social media sites for warlike political speeches as the country hurtles to the high stakes elections next year” he warned.
The regional administrator underscored the need to promote social media platforms in a way that does not jeopardize national security through propaganda for war, hate speech and incitement to violence.
The RC asked politicians in the county to be mindful of what they say in public and warned them that they will be punished for utterances that risk peaceful co-existence in the region.
By Hussein Abdullahi
