JAMILA'S MEMO: Hate speech meets empty words

Then our institutions respond. “We are warning politicians... Stern action will be taken... Those found culpable will face the law... We will not tolerate...” Haki, surely! How many warnings do politicians need?

This week, we have yet another initiative. IEBC, NCIC, the security agencies and the Registrar of Political Parties have come together to deal with hate speech, incitement and other electoral offences ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Good, Very good.

Tumesikia. But forgive me for not getting too excited. Because we have heard these warnings before. And perhaps the problem isn't that our politicians haven't heard them. Maybe they simply don't believe them or care anymore.

Think about it. A politician insults another leader. Warning. Someone makes inflammatory remarks about another community. Summons. Another politician refuses to honour the summons. Another warning. Goons disrupt a political meeting.

Investigations. CCTV captures people committing offences. Statements are issued. Someone eventually appears in court, pays a fine. And life continues.

Next rally. Next microphone. Next insult. So why exactly should anybody be afraid? Perhaps we have created a political culture where the cost of breaking the rules is simply factored into the cost of doing politics. Pay the fine. Apologise if necessary. Wait for the outrage to disappear. Then continue.

And that is why I think somebody, somewhere, has to become an example.  Let there finally be a consequence that matters. I mean, what does a politician seeking office fear more? Another press statement from an institution, or being told, you cannot be on that ballot?

And we have been here before. Ahead of the 2022 General Election, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission reviewed more than 21,000 aspirants and flagged 241 over outstanding integrity concerns.

EACC raised questions about their suitability for public office and forwarded their names to IEBC. And yet many of those integrity questions did not ultimately prevent candidates from appearing on the ballot.

Some went on to win. So what exactly did we learn? We have Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity. Beautiful words.

We say those seeking public office should demonstrate integrity, competence and suitability. But sometimes I wonder whether our threshold for leadership has become so low that basically..ukifika kwa debe, sawa tu.

Which is why I come back to what these institutions are telling us this week. IEBC says it will not clear hate mongers and those linked to goons. The police say they will recommend to IEBC individuals they consider unfit to run based on their track records. The Interior CS says they will deal with goons and their sponsors.

Sawa, Tumesikia. Sasa tuone. Because a warning only works when the person being warned believes something will happen if they ignore it. Otherwise it isn't a warning. Ni kelele tu za chura ambazo hazitamzuia ng’ombe kunywa maji.

And politicians have apparently learnt to wait for the noise to die down. Maybe before 2027, somebody needs to discover that this time the noise will not die down.

That breaking the rules can actually cost you the one thing politicians value most: Power. And until consequences become real, bad behaviour will remain good politics.

And that is my Memo.