Newspapers on Wednesday, November 19, discussed various topics, with the politics of 2027 dominating the headlines in various publications.
Elsewhere, the newspapers highlighted the ongoing investigation into hate speech allegedly spread by prominent politicians, including the former vice president.
Source: UGC
1. The Star
The Star reported on an ongoing investigation into alleged hate speech by, among others, the former vice president Rigathi Gachagua.
Gachagua, four governors, and ten members of parliament are among prominent leaders who are being investigated for hate speech and incitement.
The National Coherence and Integration Commission (NCIC) revealed that the investigation is at different stages.
The commission, which is often criticized as toothless, complained that some suspects, including Gachagua, have refused to appear for questioning.
In a status report submitted to the Senate, NCIC confirmed that it is investigating governors Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Jeremiah Lomorukai (Turkana), and Isaac Mutuma (Meru).
MPs under investigation include Mpuru Aburi (Tigania West), Farah Maalim (Dadaab), Amos Mwago (Starehe), Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), and Nelson Koech (Belgut).
Others are Phelix Odiwuor (Lang’ata), William Kamket (Tiaty), Said Hiribae (Galole), Yakub Kuno (Bura), Amina Dika (Tana River Women Representative), and Fatuma Jehow (Wajir Women Representative).
Appearing before the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunities and Regional Integration, NCIC chief executive officer Daniel Mutegi said 28 leaders have been called, while some honored the call while others ignored them.
“I would like to inform the Senate that the former deputy president and MPs Koech, Odiwuor, Wanyama and Jewow did not respect the summons to appear before the committee and explain themselves,” Mutegi said.
He added that MPs including Aburi, Kamket, Hiribae, Maalim, Kuno, Dika, and Mwago complied and were questioned about the remarks that were seen as provocative.
According to Mutegi, the commission faces major challenges in dealing with hate speech cases, especially due to limited funding that slows down the speed of investigation.
He emphasized that hate speech, racial slurs, and inflammatory language – especially from influential politicians – remain major drivers of conflict and violence, urging senators to support increased funding for the NCIC.
“We would like to inform the Senate that the commission does not have good political intentions, especially regarding the amendment of the NCIC Act. Since 2014, we have tried to amend the Act, but the Bill has never progressed beyond the second reading in Parliament,” he added.
Senator-elect Catherine Mumma raised concerns about the rise in cases of hate speech and ethnic violence, warning that the failure of government agencies to act decisively could push the country towards violence as elections approach.
“We would like to know what the NCIC and the National Commission for Gender and Equality are doing to ensure that we do not go back to where we were in 2007, when the country burned due to the failure of the relevant agencies to take action,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) criticized the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for dropping several cases of hate speech and incitement.
2. Nation Today
Taifa Today focused on the advice given by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) after it started a trend of public concern being scammed through online dating platforms.
The DCI warned Kenyans and foreigners looking for love online to be careful, citing the rise of scams where unsuspecting victims are lured into fake relationships and extorted from money and property.
A recent case involved a British citizen who visited Mombasa and lost more than KSh 800,000 after being deceived by fraudsters he met through a dating website.
On November 11, 2025, DCI officers arrested two suspects in Nyali, Mombasa, linked to a criminal gang operating an online dating business.
According to the DCI, the gang lures strangers into online romantic relationships before ensnaring them in robbery schemes.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin said one victim was in an online relationship with a Mombasa woman for several months before being invited to her home.
When he arrived, two accomplices planned a trap. One posed as her angry husband, while another posed as a police officer with a fake ID, accusing the victim of “breaking up the marriage.”
Fearing arrest, the Englishman had to send KSh 800,000 to the phone numbers provided by the gang. He was then chased away while the suspects fled.
The investigation led to the arrest of the woman and another accomplice, while the third suspect is still at large.
The DCI noted that the group is part of a wider network of criminals who create fake online relationships, lure victims to luxury homes or Airbnbs in tourist areas and then kidnap or extort money from them.
Similar scams have been reported across the country.
In Nakuru, a man lost KSh 400,000 after he was kidnapped from a luxury house in Milimani by a woman he met on a dating platform.
In Nairobi, a businessman lost KSh 300,000 after a woman he met on social media invited him to Lavington club and later transferred money from his phone to his account.
According to the DCI, these cases are part of a rapidly growing trend of cybercrime that exploits emotional vulnerability.
“We are warning the public about the increasing number of cases of people being scammed through online dating platforms and lured to dangerous places,” the organization said.
“These criminals have a great ability to use people’s emotions to obtain personal and financial information.”
DCI urged the public to be vigilant during the holiday season and avoid sharing sensitive information such as social security numbers, bank information, home addresses, or travel plans.
It also advised that any physical meetings with online friends be held in safe public places such as restaurants, supermarkets, or hotels.
3. Daily Nation
Daily Nation reported on the possibility of Wilson Sossion returning to the leadership of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
This comes as the KNUT leadership declared him ineligible to run in next year’s election, causing a huge controversy.
Sossion, who resigned in 2021 citing disillusionment with the government, said he was under “tremendous pressure” from teachers to run again.
His tenure – three years as chairman and seven years as general secretary – was marked by a strained relationship with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and frequent national strikes.
His problems worsened in 2017 when he became the first general secretary of the KNUT to be appointed to the National Assembly.
In 2020, after a Labor Court ruling, the TSC deregistered him, allowing the commission to stop submitting union dues, which weakened the KNUT financially.
Sossion was originally slated to face Collins Oyuu in the 2021 election, but resigned hours before the election, saying he had “grown” beyond the labor party and wanted to pursue politics.
Oyuu and other leaders were elected unopposed.
Now 56, Sossion has rejected claims that he is ineligible, saying the deregistration does not affect his membership.
He disputed allegations that he failed to pay union dues, urging officials to verify records.
Sossion said the Labor Relations Act and Article 31 allow individuals from any business to run for the position of general secretary.
He also noted that the current leaders, including Oyuu and chairman Patrick Karinga, are not on the TSC register as they have retired.
Sossion accused the leadership of organizing uncontested elections.
However, KNUT officials have continued to oppose his ambition, citing the party’s constitution and its deregistration.
Oyuu insists that only honest members can contest.
Elections will be held between January 5 and June 30, 2026, with national seats contested from April 1 to June 30.
4. The Standard
The Standard newspaper reported on the petition submitted by the opposition ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Leaders of the opposition Kalonzo MusyokaRigathi Gachagua, Fred Matiang’i, Mithika Linturi, and Justin Muturi want the presidential results to be fully announced at the state level.
They say that once the votes are counted in the polling stations and announced in the states, the national counting center should adopt the figures without changes.
They believe joint certification at the national level leaves room for fraud.
The petition also asks the High Court to compel the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to gazette all polling stations at least six months before the general election.
Lawyer Gitobu Imanyara, who represents the group, said his clients want credible and verifiable elections, noting that the polls are less than two years away.
He criticized the current system under the leadership of Ethekon Edung, saying it creates confusion about whether state or national results are final.
Imanyara said that IEBC has been failing to confirm the results at the state level before they are distributed electronically.
He said that just as the declarations of the state for parliamentarians and women representatives are final, the presidential polls should also have a conclusion at that stage.
He also highlighted concerns about the late publication of voters’ registers and the listing of air schools as polling stations.
According to Imanyara, the early publication of the newspaper promotes transparency, accountability, and public participation.
He stressed that the register should be published at the same time as the polling stations to ensure the integrity of the election.
Basically, the petition opposes the inclusion of verification of presidential results and calls for reforms to increase transparency, accountability, and trust in the electoral process.
Read ENGLISH VERSION
Do you have an exciting story that you would like us to publish? Please contact us via news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
