President Uhuru Kenyatta has told off Cord over the 24 hour-ultimatum to the government to unconditionally release its five lawmakers detained at Pangani Police Station over allegations of hate speech and incitement to violence.
The President, who is in Belgium for a three-day state visit, said no one is above the law and cases of incitement to violence will not be tolerated whatsoever.
“My message is that inciteful statements from whoever they come from will face the full hand of the law as long as I am President,” said the seemingly furious President Kenyatta.
He noted that incitement to violence and hate speech led to loss of lives in the past and that he will not allow the country to go that direction at whatever cost.
“I will do everything in my power as President to ensure Kenya never goes down that road. Regardless of who you are, no Kenyan will have an opportunity to incite another on the basis of religion and tribe. Kenya wants to move forward,” he said
“Kenya belongs to 40 million of us. If we want to exercise democracy, let us do so on the basis of political agenda but never again on tribe or religion,” added the President.
The leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale on his part hit out at Cord, saying “Cord cannot pick and choose which rulings to comply with and which to disrespect.”
“No one is being held incommunicado. The MPS are in custody as ordered by the magistrate and affirmed by the High Court,” Duale posted on Twitter.
The Garissa Township MP said there was no relation between IEBC talks and the crackdown on hate speech.
Duale said the threat by Cord leader Raila Odinga to withdraw from IEBC dialogue was an indication that “IEBC was never an issue from the onset.”
Odinga demanded immediate release of the legislators on Thursday evening, saying the government was interfering with freedom of speech.
He threatened that Cord with pull out of IEBC talks if the MPs are not released without bail.
He also said the opposition will hold demonstrations on Monday next week if the government fails to set free the MPs accused of hate speech.
Odinga said the MPs only reminded the President to crack the whip on hate mongers.
The MPs being held at the Pangani Police Station are Johnson Muthama (Machakos Senator), Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete), Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Junet Mohammed (Suna East), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati) and Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba).
Their two female counterparts, Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi) and Florence Mutua (Busia), are being held at Muthaiga Police Station.