Mutahi Ngunyi offers white goat to atone for 'tribal' claim

After posting an apology over alleged offensive remarks against the Luo community, political consultant Mutahi Ngunyi on Wednesday offered a goat as a sign of goodwill.

Mr Ngunyi presented a white goat to Law Society of Kenya (LSK) chief executive Apollo Mboya, who had lodged a complaint to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).

Mr Mboya will now act as an emissary to the Luo Elders’ Council and Cord leader Raila Odinga, but it is still not clear whether he has withdrawn the charges against Mr Ngunyi.

But Wednesday’s conciliatory gesture, where beer and a hearty banter flowed between Mr Ngunyi and Mr Mboya, has elicited diverse reactions on social media.

Joshua Odhiambo Nyamori, in a Facebook post, said: “Apollo Mboya ... With all due respect, don't you think you are over reaching yourself? Don't you think it is egoistic for you as an individual to assume the right to receive apologies and reconcile with Mutahi Ngunyi on behalf of the Luo community.

Herold Beneah Oluoch said, "I really wished this didn’t happen because it just softens the case and adds to the list of people who escape justice after irresponsible utterances of this nature."

Said Kassim Shabban, “The ends justifies the means: tyranny of numbers met the tyranny of lawyers and apologised unreservedly! #PEACE good people!"

'MUTUAL CONCERN'

Mr Mboya responded: “I honoured the invitation by Mutahi Ngunyi, facilitated by Nana Jennifer Shamalla and discussed the issues that were of mutual concerns and the need to safeguard against utterances which may cause disharmony.”

In the case he had filed before the NCIC, Mr Mboya wanted Mr Ngunyi investigated over alleged hate speech targeting one community.

Mr Mboya wrote to the NCIC seeking investigations into Mr Ngunyi's tweets.

In a letter addressed to NCIC Secretary Hassan Mohammed, Mr Mboya claimed Ngunyi’s Twitter posts amounted to hate speech against a Kenyan community.

“In particular, the posts target members of a specific community as lacking individuality and in a state of mental slavery, assertions that are not only false but may very well constitute hate speech directed at specific members of a community (of) which I am a member,” read the letter.

CALLED FOR INVESTIGATION

Mr Mboya called for an investigation into Mr Ngunyi’s utterances.

“It is my view that the words uttered by Mutahi Ngunyi are intended to incite feelings of contempt, hatred, hostility, violence and/or discrimination against a community on the basis of ethnicity and, therefore, committed an offence under Section 62 of the NCIC Act,” Mr Mboya writes in his letter.

Mr Mboya also copied the letter to Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko and Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet.

But in a rejoinder, Mr Ngunyi tweeted: “I am writing to LSK Council to find out if LSK has become a branch of Cord. And if one Apollo Mboya speaks for council on this matter…”

Mr Ngunyi, however, posted an apology, saying he did not mean to ridicule the Luo nation but said he would continue to attack leaders like Raila Odinga as a political commentator.