The National Cohesion and Integration Commission has listed hatupangwingi, kama noma noma and other 23 words as hate speech.
At a press briefing on Friday, the chairman of the commission Rev. Dr. Samwel Kobia said that they classified the terms as coded messages which can be used to activate hatred.
"The NCIC has classified terms, which have been regularly used in Kenya’s political landscape with the intent to provoke violence among various communities of diverse political viewpoints.
“We have classified these terms as coded messages which can be used to activate hatred and consciously eliminate other communities. These terms are in various languages; English, Kiswahili, Sheng, Kikuyu, Kalenjin and Non-verbal nods,” Dr Kobia stated.
Among the names listed by NCIC as hate speech are the English words fumigation, uncircumcised, eliminate and kill.
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Kiswahili words included madoadoa, watu wa kurusha mawe, watajua hawajui, wabara waende kwao, and kaffir.
Other Kiswahili words were chunga kura, wakuja, chinja kafir, kwekwe, and mende.
Sheng words included kama noma noma, kama mbaya mbaya, operation linda kura and hatupangwingwi. Kikuyu terms were kihii and uthamaki ni witu.
Kalenjin terms in the list were kimurkeldet (brown teeth), otutu labotonik (uproot the weed) and ngetiik while Mwiji was the only Meru term in the list.
Dr. Kobia said that his commission is committed to ensuring a violence-free election ahead of the August 9 general polls.
“We have intensified our programs to ensure this goal is attained. We call for an end of divisive talks and call for political tolerance," he stated.
Some of the terms mentioned by NCIC have been used before by political heavyweights including the Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
