Controversial city blogger Robert Alai has been charged with hate speech.
The blogger is being charged for allegedly publishing in his facebook account content that sets two communities against each other.
Alai is alleged to have said on 22nd March this year that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had removed the names of Henry Kosgey and Sally Kosgey from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) nomination list.
The purpose of this claim was to set up members of the Kalenjin community against CORD leader Raila Odinga.
The charges say the allegations were meant to stir up ethnic hatred between the Kalenjin and Luo communities.
The accused, who appeared before Magistrate Lucy Mbugua, denied the hate speech charge against him and was released on a cash bail of Ksh. 100,000.
The case will be mentioned on 3rd June.
Last month, Alai was sued for libel by mobile phone service provider Safaricom.
Safaricom obtained a court order barring Alai from posting online articles claimed to be injurious to the company’s reputation.
Safaricom wanted the court to order him to pull down all online articles they deem to be offensive.
The court has issued a temporary injunction barring the blogger from publishing any further online articles that claim impropriety on the part of the company towards its staff.
Hearing of this case has been fixed for May 6th 2013
Among the other pending cases Alai is facing in courts include libel filed by the Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia and another by Machakos County governor Dr Alfred Mutua.
By Maureen Murimi
Source:citizennews.co.ke
