No one will be spared, President Uhuru warns hate mongers

President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing a congregation at the funeral service for the late Mrs. Hannah Wanjiru Matong'e at Wamagana grounds in Nyeri County.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has cautioned leaders to watch what they say in public.

The President said some remarks made by leaders are likely to raise tension among Kenyans and plunge the country into chaos.

“We need to unite our people by promoting peaceful co-existence and unity instead of preaching hate through hate speech,” he said.

Speaking yesterday at the funeral of the late Hannah Wanjiru Matong’e, the mother of Chief of Staff Joseph Kinyua, at Wamagana stadium in Nyeri County, the President warned that leaders who engage in hate mongering, especially in front of children, will be held accountable for their utterances.

He wondered what type of country such leaders want to build if they only care about advancing their interests. “Who will help us make the country prosper if we are not faithful, honest, and trustworthy?” he posed.

Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale accused Opposition chiefs of glorifying leaders accused of inciting Kenyans.

Duale said he was shocked to see CORD leaders escorting their colleagues facing hate speech charges to a homecoming party in Kilifi County.

“I was disturbed to see a national leader on TV gracing the homecoming of a member of the Pangani Six and Muthaiga Two. We wonder what calibre of leaders we have in this country,” he said.

Duale cautioned Jubilee leaders against stirring religious and tribal animosity. The President said even though he had not had not met the deceased in her lifetime, he knew her through her son whose service to the nation spans over three decades.

“Despite not having a chance to acquire formal education, she was a dedicated and a committed farmer who knew the importance of education,” Uhuru said.

The President strongly defended Kinyua over criticism by African Independent Pentecostal Church of Kenya (AIPCK) Presiding Archbishop John Baptista Mugecha, who had criticised the Chief of staff over the poor state of the roads at his home village of Kianderi in Tetu constituency.

Archbishop Mugecha had claimed that despite Kinyua holding several senior government positions, the area had nothing to show for it, citing the deplorable state of the roads.

“One of our own (Kinyua) has been a long serving civil servant, even serving as Finance PS, yet, there is little on the ground to indicate that,” said Mugecha.

But when he rose to address the mourners, President Kenyatta defended his Chief of Staff, saying had it not been for him, the country would have lost millions of shillings.

He told the Archbishop that a lot of looting would have taken place at the Treasury, but Kinyua, being a person of high integrity, had helped safeguard taxpayers money.

“The Archbishop should even be praying that Kenya gets more than 100 people like Kinyua instead of openly castigating him in public. If there is a job you want to be done in Nyeri, you need to ask me, not him,” said Kenyatta.

Mrs Matong’e died at the age of 94. She is survived by six children.