The country may plunge into anarchy and lawlessness in 2017 if the current hate speech and incitement doing rounds on social media platforms is not checked, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission has warned.
Speaking in Nakuru on Tuesday, the commission’s chief executive Hassan Mohamed warned that there were individuals who had taken to social media to incite their kinsmen against other communities, a move he said was setting a bad precedent for the country.
Mohammed also took issue with the political class whom he accused of setting the stage and bankrolling such inflammatory encounters, and warned them to rein in their supporters.
"Social media incitement is very dangerous for a fragile nation like ours. If these individuals who are inciting their communities against others are not contained, then the next election portends doom for us. Politicians, however, bear the greatest responsibility for such mess in these platforms and they really need to restrain their supporters," he said.
He, however, reiterated the NCIC’s resolve to fight hate speech and promote national healing, maintaining that they were impressed with the current state of affairs where communities interact freely and cordially.