By Beauttah Omanga
National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia has defended his action against three Kikuyu language musicians.
Dr Kibunjia termed as unfounded claims that he was fighting the Kikuyu community and explained that he acted after receiving complaints from members of the public.
NCIC launched investigation against the musicians — Kamande wa Kioi, John DeMathew and Muigai wa Njoroge — last week for allegedly poisoning their music with hate speech. Mr Kioi is expected to be arraigned in court tomorrow.
The contentious songs are Mwaka wa Hiti, loosely translated as ‘Year of the Hyena’ (DeMathew), Hague Bound (Njoroge) and Kioi’s Uhuru ni Witu (Uhuru is Ours)
Kibunjia, who was speaking during a workshop in Nakuru, further said that in the future his commission would ask the trio to compose reconciliation songs, given their ability and influence in the society.
Jirongo
“We should not look at the trio as bad people out to incite communities, but as conveyors of reconciliation messages in future through their singing talents,” said Kibunjia.
One of the participants took Kibunjia to task for allegedly failing to take action against MP Cyrus Jirongo, who he alleged was “on record inciting Kenyans against President Kibaki’s leadership”.
Kibunjia said he had received complaints against Jirongo and investigation had commenced before a decision on whether to summon him or not was made.
He said Kenyans should not expect his commission to police all utterances “but Kenyans have an option of shunning leaders known to be making inflammatory statements in public”.
He said he was not targeting any community, but accused Kenyans of being thankless people.
“I have accepted the reality that I am doing a thankless job. Kenyans want us to take action but the moment you do they again complain,” he lamented.
Feuds
During the session, some residents accused the Media Council of Kenya of failing to take action against some media houses they alleged favoured certain politicians.
The council’s chairman, Prof Levy Obonyo, emphasised that all media houses were supposed to be fair to all politicians.
Kibunjia said peace in Rift Valley can only be achieved if two main communities in the region decided to nurture peace and harmony.
“Trouble in Rift Valley is always perpetuated by two communities – the Kikuyus and Kalenjins — who end up sucking other communities into their feuds. The sooner the two find lasting peace, the better for all other residents of the province,” said Kibunjia.
