KENYA : National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah has urged the youth to Respect Families of the Leaders whose reputation they are tarnishing.
Speaking on Friday, December 27, 2024, Ichung’wah stated that young Kenyans are acting in a uncivilized manner, misusing their Freedom of Expression.
The Kikuyu Member of Parliament, urged youths to desist from taking advantage of social media platforms and freedom of speech to insult leaders, urging them to practice restraint and respect.
“To the youth, have respect, even if you do not respect me as a leader and other leaders, then respect the families of those leaders, you might not like Speaker Moses Wetang’ula but remember he has a parent, he is also a father” Ichung’wah said.
Additionally, Ichungwah challenged security officers to make use of the law to apprehend cyberbullies and take them before the courts of law, in line with the provisions of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2018.
The majority leader noted that arresting those violating the Cybercrime Act would tame online bullies in the East African country.
“I want to challenge the DCI, kama kuna watu wamefanya makosa ya misuse of computers and cybercrimes, arrest them and make it public, and take them before courts of law so that it becomes a deterrent to those who insult and do very uncivilized things, AI not only to insult but also to do very uncivilized things." He said.
“Implement that law to end this shenanigans of people insulting each other with impunity and imagining nothing can happen to them, you must make use of the laws that we created and enacted in Parliament in 2018, especially the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act,” Ichung’wah added.
The majority leader also cautioned those faking their abduction as the new wave of missing persons in the country surges stating that they should also be arrested and charged for cybercrime, saying that some social media users want to use abduction to incite Kenyans.
“If anybody alleges to have been abducted and they are not, they should be arrested and charged for misuse of their computers and cybercrimes. There are characters who want to use this to incite the people of Kenya,” he added.
The Leader of Minority in the National Assembly Junet Mohammed on his part expressed regret over the growing trend of online insults against leaders.
Junet said while there is freedom of speech and expression, everyone should do so within the confines of the law.
He said those misusing their digital platforms should be arrested and charged in court.
"Unaenda unaweka president kwa coffin kwa Facebook na Twitter (X), hiyo ni tabia chafu sana. Halafu anaenda kupiga kifua ati ni haki yangu. It's only God who knows the day you will be put there, it is not you," Junet said.
"You have no right to put anyone inside a casket. Those doing that should be taken to court," he added.