National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Chairperson Kepha Omae on Monday, August 24, warned that the Commission would arrest leaders who fail to honour summonses.
Speaking after grilling Mukurweini Member of Parliament (MP) John Kaguchia, Omae urged other leaders who had been summoned to avail themselves.
He added that if push came to shove, NCIC would go after the leaders, even if it meant arresting them.
"We are grateful that Kaguchia has appeared before the Commission. I want to ask the other clients to follow suit.
"Do not push us to the wall for us to seek warrants of arrest and come for you. In your own volition and in obedience to the summons, figure a way to appear before the NCIC," Omae declared
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The Chair further denied claims that it was handling cases of hate speech unfairly. He told off Kenyans claiming that their leaders were being targeted because of their tribe, that the Commission has no space for tribalism.
Meanwhile, Kaguchia put up a spirited defence after he was summoned for allegedly making inciteful remarks. Through his lawyers, he demanded that his utterance should be translated into any other language, as the meaning could be altered.
"We are willing to have the document and the interpretation read by a person who understands the language and a person who can issue a certificate of translation. As my learned friend said, that meaning was lost in translation," Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru told the Commission.
Among the other leaders summoned by the NCIC include DP Leader Rigathi Gachagua, Busia Governor Paul Otuoma, and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
Gachagua told the Commission that he would not honour his summons because the date he was scheduled to appear before the Commission coincided with his US trip.
Through his lawyers, he said he is willing to cooperate with the Commission but wants access to the evidence and information relating to the allegations before participating in the investigations.
