The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has tagged “hatupangwingwi” among hate speech words that would trigger violence.
It comes months ahead of the August 9, 2022 elections.
“We have therefore taken the bull by its horns through this exercise of identifying terms and coded language that has been commonly used in Kenya’s political landscape with the intent to incite violence against various communities of differing political stances,” reads a statement from NCIC.
The word “hatupangwingwi” has commonly been used by politicians during their rallies across the country.
It is Swahili slung loosely translated as “don’t tell us what to say or do.”
Sheng words include kama noma noma, kama mbaya mbaya, operation linda kura and hatupangwingwi. Kikuyu terms were kihii and uthamaki ni witu.
Kalenjin terms in the list were kimurkeldet (brown teeth), otutu labotonik (uproot the weed) and ngetiik while Mwiji was the only Meru term in the list.
NCIC chair Samuel Kobia noted that the words included in the lexicon have the potential to incite violence between two or more ethnic communities in Kenya.
Here is the list of the hate speech terms:
• Uncircumcised
• Fumigation
• Eliminate
• Kill
• Kaffir
• Madoa doa
• Chunga Kura
• Kama noma noma
• Kwekwe
• Mende
• Hatupangwingwi
• Operation Linda kura
• Watu wa kurusha mawe
• Watajua hawajui
• Wabara waende kwao
• Wakuja (Those that come)
• Uthamaki ni witu
• Kimurkeldet (Brown teeth)
• Otutu Labatonik (uproot the weed)
Persons found using the said terms will be listed on NCIC’s wall of shame ahead of the polls.
