National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) on Friday released a list of popular words that will henceforth be considered hate speech and will see users prosecuted.

Releasing the list, NCIC boss Samuel Kobia said the key words listed in the commission’s lexicon pose the risk of sparking violence between two or more ethnic communities.

“We have therefore taken the bull by its horns through this exercise of identifying terms and coded language that have been commonly used in Kenya’s political landscape with the intent to incite violence against various communities of differing political stances,” Kobia said.


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However, he revealed that the list will be updated in terms of words amounting to hate speech but noted that some of the words in the lexicon could be used innocently.

“This remains a living document since the terms and coded language shall be regularly updated for use in the social media tracking of the National cohesion and Integration Commission,” he said.

The reverend warned that those found using the words will be listed on on the NCIC wall of shame ahead of the hotly-contested general election, which is only four months away.

Kobia added that the terms will be shared with the public regularly to enhance awareness and protect them against political manipulation to incite ethnic communities against others.

Here is the full list of terms declared hate speech by NCIC:


Here is the full press conference: