By Dickens Wasonga,

The national cohesion and integration commission has issued yet another stern warning to Kenyan politicians fond of issuing hate and ethnic sentiments that can throw the country back to an orgy of violence like one witnessed after the disputed 2007 election results.

The commission’s chairman, Mzalendo Kibunjia, while delivering the tarse warning, said his officers were all over the country to monitor what the politicians say during political rallies and will not hesitate to prosecute those who use such gatherings to incite people along ethnic lines.

Mr. Kibunjia said the violence that rocked the country in 2008 was largely due to the conduct of politicians who used campaign rallies to whip up ethnic tension and pledged to use the law and powers within the commission to crack down such elements.

He pointed out that the country was at the risk of a possible out brake of violence if the politicians fail to change their current strategy of mobilizing support through ethnic sentiments meant to divide the nation and asked the police and the judiciary to rise to the challenge and offer complementary roles to beat those bent in plunging the country into anarchy.

Just before they left for the Hague where they had been summoned by the international criminal court for the initial appearance ahead of the confirmation of the charges , the suspects who are commonly referred to as the ’ Ocampo six’ addressed several rallies where their political allies made statements considered as hate speech.

His directives came hot in the heels of yet another such warning he issued a few weeks ago where he promised to ensure such leaders are made to pay for their actions.

But even with his stern warning , the politicians including the ICC suspects arrived back into the country from the Netherlands yesterday were at Nairobi’s Uhuru park for a prayer rally where political statements were unavoidable.

Before they left for the Haque last week,politicians allied to the country’s deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North Mp William Ruto have been accused by the commission in the recent past for allegedly making hate speeches in the pretext that they were preaching peace.

The same politicians went a round the country organizing prayer meetings which later turn into political forums where perceived opponents are attacked politically.

The move jostled the country’s state security organs to swing into action with the internal security permanent secretary warning his ministry was not going to condone more of such conducts from the leaders.

The Kibunjia led commission has also come into sharp critizism with a section of Kenyans accusing it of not doing much to prosecute those who have been found culpable .

‘’ I will not hesitate to take you to court, if you continue to disobey the law, it does not matter who you are in government’’ Declared Kibunjia.

The commission also threatened to recommend for the closing down of media houses that air and publish materials that can help divide the country along tribal lines.

He said plans were underway to to have a meeting between the media owners association and the two principals, president Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to discuss the way the media was covering political issues.

‘’ Why do we allow certain material that can cause chaos in the country to be aired or published by some of the media houses? The media must exercise restraint and be able to censure some of the statements that the politicians make’’ he said.

The chairman was addressing the media in Kisumu town after opening a two day workshop for the journalists working in western Kenya .

The workshop which brought together reporters from the electronic and print media was organized by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation in collaboration with Kenya Association of Correspondents and was meant to deliberate on how the scribes can work to create harmony and enhance reconciliation efforts in the country.

END.