NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 5 — A woman accused of making inflammatory ethnic remarks in a viral social media video has been charged with ethnic contempt contrary to Section 62(1) of the National Cohesion and Integration Act, 2008.
Sahara Ahmed Barre was on Thursday arraigned before the Kahawa Law Courts where she denied the charges.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the accused was released on a cash bail of Sh200,000 or an alternative bond of Sh1 million with a surety of a similar amount.
The court scheduled the matter for mention on June 22, 2026.
The charges stem from remarks allegedly made by Barre in a video that circulated widely on social media, attracting public attention and prompting investigations by detectives.
The DCI said investigators reviewed the footage and examined the context and intent of the statements before effecting her arrest on April 26.
Authorities contend that the remarks were inciteful and had the potential to undermine national cohesion and peaceful coexistence among communities.
In a statement following the court appearance, the DCI reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the law impartially while protecting public order and national unity.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations reiterates its commitment to impartially enforcing the law while protecting national cohesion, peaceful coexistence and public order,” the agency said.
The DCI also urged Kenyans to exercise their constitutional freedoms responsibly, warning against sharing content that could incite hatred, violence or division.
The case comes amid growing scrutiny of online content and renewed efforts by law enforcement agencies to curb hate speech, particularly on social media platforms where inflammatory messages can spread rapidly and reach large audiences.
Authorities have increasingly warned that digital platforms should not be used to promote ethnic animosity, violence or other forms of unlawful expression.
The DCI emphasized that while freedom of expression is protected under the Constitution, it must be exercised within the confines of the law and without threatening national harmony.
“Utterances that may incite division, hatred or threaten peaceful coexistence will be dealt with firmly and without exception,” the agency said.
The case is expected to test the application of Kenya’s hate speech laws at a time when concerns over online misinformation, inflammatory rhetoric and digital accountability remain prominent in public discourse.
