The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) continues to be on the receiving end from politicians following its decisions to categorize some popular words as hate speech.
NCIC on Friday, April 8, 2022, listed 34 words and phrases it said would be deemed hate speech if used by politicians.
Amongst the words listed is ‘Hatupangwingwi’, which has gained popularity amongst politicians and voters allied to Kenya Kwanza.
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According to Soy Member of Parliament Caleb Kositany, some of the words listed by NCIC have nothing to do with hate speech.
“Some of those words are in the dictionary and cannot be deleted. I’m shocked that NCIC selected them to be in the so-called list of banned words,” Kositany said on Sunday, April 10, 2022.
The MP, who is a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto was particularly concerned over circumstances that informed the inclusion of ‘Hatupangwingwi’ to the list.
He termed the move ‘cheap and unprofessional’.
“That word has nothing wrong unless those who want to ‘panga’ us are uncomfortable with its use. The word is resonating well with the common mwananchi and we are not about to stop using it because NCIC has said so,” noted the MP who is also eyeing the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat.
Kositany noted that NCIC seems to have politicized the matter, after leaving out names like ‘Vijana Fire’ commonly used by ODM leader Raila Odinga, which according to him, is more dangerous that ‘Hatupangwingwi’.
Speaker Muturi joins Kenya Kwanza
A majority of Kenya Kwanza politicians have maintained that they will continue using the term.
Already DP Ruto has released a remix of the song ‘Hatupangwingwi’, a move that came just hours after NCIC made the statement.
And following the recent joining of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to Kenya Kwanza, the legislator said it was the right decision for the Democratic Party (DP) leader to make.
He challenged politicians yet to join the alliance that it is not yet too late.
“Speaker Muturi made the wise decision as he has chosen a side where its leaders are ready to work for the people and want to change the economy first and not the constitution,” Kositany said.
“To other politicians, it is never too late. Only a fool doesn’t change his/her mind,” he added.
