Senator Hassan Omar claims his life is in danger

Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar  [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO]

Kenya: The Senate on Thursday discussed death threats on Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and asked authorities to investigate the complaints.

Mr Omar named two bloggers whom he alleged have been calling for his elimination through a series of hate posts in their blogs.

Senators demanded the immediate arrest of the two prominent bloggers and urged the Government to offer the senator protection.

Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki, Minority Leader Moses Wetang’ula, senators Mutahi Kagwe (Nyeri), Billow Kerrow (Mandera) and Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) asked authorities to act on the complaints.

Omar told the House that bloggers Mugo Wa Wairimu and Willy Omosa, through a series of hate posts, have advocated for his assassination. “These bloggers have called for my death, alleging I have links with the Al-Shabaab terror group,” he said.

He continued: “I have never been scared in my life, but there is a red line which has been crossed. We do not live in a kangaroo State where people publish that kind of information and get away with it.”

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Omar expressed fears over his life, talking cognisance of the fact that the two bloggers enjoy a huge following on social media, both on Facebook and Twitter.

“They openly called for my killing on various dates of the last one month,” said Omar.

Omar faulted the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko for failing to take action, despite writing to him complaining about the offending posts.

“No action has been taken so far,” he said.

He gave details of the hate posts, accusing Wairimu of posting on his blog on November 22 calling for his elimination the same way Makaburi and Aboud Rogo were killed.

A day later, on November 23, Omosa posted on his blog, claiming the senator is a sympathiser of Al-Shabaab and must be shot with one lethal bullet.

On the same day, Omosa wrote another post that alleges the Mandera killings in which 28 people were killed could have been avoided if Omar had been shot dead.

“In my eight years in the human rights movement, I have come through a lot of threats to my life. I have never taken cognisance of the hate speeches because I never took them seriously,” he said.

Omar told the House the hate messages have intensified following his opposition to the storming of mosques by security forces in Mombasa County, and their eventual closure after weapons were recovered there.

 MASSIVE SUPPORT

The senator said he has decided to speak out because 90 per cent of the comments on all the posts had expressed support for his killing.

“I have decided to say this so that the House takes consciousness of this fact. But let me say I am not scared of these threats,” he said.

Wetang'ula called for immediate investigations into the activities of the bloggers and demanded that the offending blogs be pulled down.

“There is nowhere in this 21st century that such blogs can be allowed to spew the kind of reckless hate we have witnessed. The DPP must expedite investigations,” he said.

Senator Billow Kerrow (Mandera) accused Deputy President William Ruto of intolerance on those who express dissenting opinion.

“If the DP can accuse some leaders of opposing operations in Mombasa, the bloggers will also argue the same,” he said.

The senators also urged Speaker Ekwee Ethuro to also write to the DPP immediately to initiate a probe.

“I express my disgust that after 50 plus years of independence, we are struggling with national unity, tolerance and cohesion,” said Prof Kindiki (Tharaka/Nithi). He asked Ethuro to write to DPP on behalf of the senators.

Wetang’ula cited Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) as having also engaged in hate speech on social media.

He also named an online site ‘Kenya Post’ as being used to spread hate speech among Kenyans.

Senator Mutahi Kagwe (Nyeri) said Senate is in the process of amending communication laws to criminalise online hate speech.

Kagwe, who also chairs the Information and Technology Community condemned the posts on social media, saying they could erode morals in the society.

“We must protect ourselves. The posting currently trending on social media is unbelievable. If not addressed, this will lead to anarchy. We cannot allow our society to be abused by others,” cautioned Kagwe.

But Migori Senator Wilfred Machage had a different opinion. “Hassan cheered when I was arrested for critiquing land reforms. I spent one and half years in courts. I was harassed on social media and now we are on the same corner,” he said.