NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 19 — A Nairobi court has directed Mumias East MP Peter Salasya to first carry out a public apology and a social media peace campaign before it can allow the withdrawal of a hate speech case filed against him by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
The trial magistrate, Senior Resident Magistrate Paul Mutai, Monday said the court would not adopt a conciliation agreement reached between Salasya and NCIC until there is proof that the lawmaker has fully complied with the conditions set out in the deal.
The prosecution had asked the court to withdraw the case under Section 87A of the Criminal Procedure Code after reaching a conciliation agreement with Salasya.
State counsel told the court that the agreement, signed on November 17, 2025 between the MP and NCIC Secretary Dr Daniel Ntegi Giti, had settled the matter through the commission’s conciliation mechanism.
However, Magistrate Mutai declined to immediately approve the request, noting that the key conditions in the agreement had not yet been implemented.
“I have looked at the reconciliation agreement. There are some activities which parties undertook to do, and there is no evidence provided that there is compliance with that directive,” the magistrate said.
February 2
The court directed that within 14 days, the parties must hold a joint, well-publicised press conference at a venue to be communicated by NCIC, during which Salasya will publicly apologise.
In addition, the MP was ordered to run a social media campaign advocating for peace, cohesion and national integration.
“I also direct that evidence of such activities be provided [and] I need to look at that press conference evidence. I also need to look at your social media campaigns advocating for peace if you want me to adopt this agreement,” the magistrate ruled.
The case will be mentioned on February 2 for an update and further directions, when the court will determine whether to adopt the conciliation agreement and allow the withdrawal of the charges.
The ruling follows a long-running process in which the court had earlier referred the matter to NCIC for review before a full hearing.
In October 2025, Magistrate Mutai allowed the prosecution to forward the file to NCIC for assessment and recommendations, after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said the commission needed time to evaluate the case and advise on the appropriate course of action.
At the time, the court was told that NCIC’s role was strictly advisory, focused on issues of national cohesion and integration, and not on determining guilt or innocence.
Salasya was charged in May 2025 with hate speech, accused of making inflammatory remarks on social media targeting members of a specific community.
The latest court orders now make the withdrawal of the case conditional on his visible public compliance with the peace and reconciliation measures agreed with the commission.
