This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
Raila's Tribute to De'Mathew Sparks Debate ¶
On August 19, 2019, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga paid tribute to the late musician John De'Mathew, who died in a car accident at the Blue Post Hotel in Thika.
However, Odinga's message of condolence, which highlighted De'Mathew's efforts to campaign against illicit brews, was met with skepticism by many Kenyans.
De'Mathew had previously been involved in a controversy surrounding a song he released in 2013, titled 'Mwaka wa Hiti' (The Year of the Hyena), which was deemed to contain hate speech by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
The song targeted 'Mt Kenya political enemies' as greedy hyenas, with Raila Odinga, Peter Kenneth, and Martha Karua being among those named.
De'Mathew was later acquitted by Senior Principal Magistrate Ellena Nderitu, who ruled that there was no evidence to support the hate speech allegations.
Many Kenyans took to social media to express their surprise and even outrage at Odinga's glowing tribute to De'Mathew, with some questioning the timing and sincerity of the message.
As one Twitter user noted, 'Being a politician is very difficult, you must always lie.'
Others praised Odinga for his forgiveness and willingness to move on from past conflicts, with one user saying, 'Baba there's one thing I like about you, you forgive and move and you don't mind about the stupid things people did at your back.'
However, others were more critical, with one user saying, 'John De Mathew was a talented musician, out of the almost 400 hits he composed and sung, he did only one political and that's what everyone else seems to remember.'
De'Mathew's death has sparked a wider debate about the role of music in Kenyan politics and the impact of hate speech on society.
