‘Sipangwingwi’ among words banned by NCIC as election period approaches
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has listed words that could warrant stern actions if uttered in this electioneering period.
While releasing lexicon words termed as hate speech, the NCIC chairman, Dr Samuel Kobia say, “inflammatory attacks, ethnic contempt, political intolerance, hate speech as well as zoning of regions have become the order of the day in the recent past.”
According to Dr Kobia, perpetrators of hate and violence have migrated to social media with Facebook recording the highest number of hate/incitement followed by Twitter.
Here are the words you should not speak during this political season.
1. Elimination
2. Madoadoa
3. Kill
4. Fumigation
5. Cockroach/mende
Kikuyu words
1. Kihii- uncircumcised man
2. Uthamaki ni witu- leadership is ours. Targeted community is non-kikuyu’s with the notion
Meru words
1. Mwiji- uncircumcised man
Kalenjin words
1. Kimurkeldet- brown teeth, to refer to Kikuyu in Rift Valley.
2. Otutu Labotonik- uproot the weed used to mean there are strangers in the community who need to be eliminated
3. Ngetiik- uncircumcised man
Sheng words
1. Kama mbaya ni mbaya (Kama noma noma) used to the less
2. Operation linda kura which means secure the votes
3. Hatupangwingwi
4. Watu wa kurusha mawe
5. Watajua hawajui
The issuance of this list is in a bid to ensure that the August 2022 polls are violence-free.
When the election date fast approaches, some of Kenya’s politicians have been called out severally for uttering these highlighted words in their rallies.
Even though NCIC has summoned some of them, the heightened emotions that come from these political gatherings are evident in their words which are interpreted as geared to incite Kenyans.