Source: The Star
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission has warned over increasing cases of hate speech targeted at women aspirants ahead of the general election.

Kibunjia said they have received complaints from several female aspirants about hate speech and abuses targeted at them during political campaigns.

He said his team is investigating the claims for an appropriate action. "There is an emerging trend of hate speech against women aspirants and we think that is not right because women have a constitutional right to vie for any seats they want," said Kibunjia.

He said the perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. Kibunjia asked targeted women to report such cases to the commission and the police.

At the same time, police officers have began recording events, including public meetings, ahead of the general election. Senior police officers used tape recorders and video cameras to record proceedings during the last week's visit but ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in the Rift Valley over the 2007/08 post-election violence prosecution.

One of the officers involved in the recording said they had strict instructions to file all details about events they will be assigned to watch.

All Officers Commanding Police Divisions and their deputies are among those who have been trained by the NCIC to help in dealing with hate speech during the campaigns. Kibunjia who was in Eldoret last Friday said the commission is ready to handle the elections.

"As a commission we are very much ready to help the country go through a peaceful election but this will be done with support from Kenyans themselves," said Kibunjia who attended the week long civil society activities which focused on devolution after the general elections.

Kibunjia said the creation of the 47 counties was for purposes of proper management of resource and that they were not meant to be tribal regions.

"We will need each other in the counties and even the law say that workers in the regions should include 30 percent from communities which are not dominant in that particular county," he said.

He said the counties would help to dimisitify government operations which will now be managed by the people themselves. "The government is now coming to the villages and we have to live harmoniously sharing resources and other issues as a community in one country," he said. 

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