The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has mapped out 23 counties as possible hotspots for violence before, during and after the August elections.
The regions include Kisumu, Uasingishu, Nakuru, Mombasa, Nairobi, Migori, Kericho, Isiolo, Lamu, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia, Marsabit, Kiambu, Nyamira, Homa Bay, Nandi, Bomet, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Garissa, and Siaya.
NCIC Chairperson Samuel Kobia warned that these counties will be closely monitored ahead of the polls, with a special focus on hate speech.
“We must stay alert and vigilant in these counties,” Kobia said during a news conference.
The Commission has designed a 13-variable risk matrix to identify the counties and will prioritize the issue of hate speech, ensuring that leaders who engage in it are held accountable.
Currently, 49 hate speech cases are under active investigation, and plans are underway to set up four courts across the country to deal specifically with hate speech cases.
The Commission has also warned against ethnic balkanization, misuse of social media, and incitement to violence, listing these as red flags that will not be tolerated.
