NCIC urges Kenyans to report hate speech, ethnic contempt

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has urged the public to report cases of hate speech likely to incite feelings of contempt, hatred, hostility, violence, or discrimination, and affect harmonious coexistence in Kenya, via their toll-free SMS Number 1547.

In a statement on their X handle, the Commission said it continues to monitor hate speech cases on social media and other public platforms.

NCIC noted that the cases have gone down significantly due to continuous engagement with the public on the need to mitigate hate speech and ethnic contempt.

“In the last quarter, April-June 2024, the Commission received 67 cases out of which 43 are under various stages of investigation, 2 are before the court, 13 have been concluded while 13 others were conciliated under the NCI Act 2008 provisions.” The statement read.

Regarding social media platforms, the Commission flagged 44 cases on discrimination, 24 on incitement, 6 on hate speech, 93 on misinformation, and 68 on disinformation all totaling 268 cases.

The NCIC stressed that it is committed to ensuring Kenya remains a peaceful society and that the gains made over the last years are solidified.