Words have power. A simple word spoken by a powerful person can either bring peace or war. A leader is an example of a person in power. Unfortunately, many of our leaders seem not to fully appreciate the power they hold. Few seem to realize the impact their words and actions have on those of us who hold them in reverence. For a leader their words are mainly a part of their political game but to their followers each word and every action is a serious act of leadership.
This is how hate speech is spread among the people. When a Kenyan leader says a certain tribe is bad his followers take him up to his word. When their leaders say hate, they hate. When the leaders seem to fight they will also fight. This is the power of words and its impact on citizens.
Martin Luther King Jr said “I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too strong a burden to bear.” This is very clear in Kenya where the 2007/08 post-election violence we reaped the products of hate. The results of hate speech are thus a burden that is too great for any nation to bear. The nature, the extent and consequences of inflammatory and hate speech in Kenya are pretty evident.
They emerge at times of political tension or conflict and in the run-up to and during election campaigns. Those charged or accused of hate speech are rarely successfully prosecuted. Cases are either drag on without result or are dropped-often for political reasons. The failure of prosecution gives those who engage in hate speech for political ends a feeling of impunity.
Impunity thus breeds hate propaganda. The recent incidents where 8 Members of Parliament and a Senator were held in police cells capped a wave of rising political tensions and violence on the streets. It is sad that it had to take a few nights in police cells to hopefully sober our leaders to the reality of the negative impact of their hate speech.
It is clear that the leaders had to be reminded that they are not above the law. It is therefore my call that politicians who incite the public should not be given the feeling of impunity. They should be punished because they are a danger to a civilized society. Kenyans do not want to witness the violence that often accompanies political disputes or elections as a result of the efficacy of hate speech as a propaganda tool. The war against hate speech should be tough and endless.
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