Hate speech and other forms of dangerous language are quietly laying the ground for violence and radicalisation in Kenya, a new report by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) warns.
The study links rising cases of online and political incitement to the grooming of young men into violent groups and the systematic use of degrading language to push women out of leadership spaces, raising concern as the country moves closer to the next General Election.
The findings, unveiled in Kisumu during a stakeholder dissemination workshop, show that inflammatory language especially online and in political spaces was increasingly being used to dehumanise women, profile communities and groom young people into violent and extremist networks.
NCIC’s Director for Research and Knowledge Management Millicent Okatch said the study found a thin but dangerous line between hate speech and radicalisation, with gender playing a critical but often ignored role.
“We established that what we call gendered dangerous speech affects men, women, boys, and girls differently. In political spaces, women are targeted through demeaning and dehumanising language meant to silence and push them out. For boys and young men, the same speech glorifies toxic masculinity and normalises violence as a way of negotiating power,” she said.
Such narratives, she said, make young men more vulnerable to recruitment into criminal gangs and extremist groups, while simultaneously shrinking the democratic space for women leaders.
She said the qualitative study, which involved 92 key informant interviews and 292 focus group discussions across several counties, also found major gaps in Kenya’s legal and policy framework on hate speech.
Okatch said the current law narrowly defines hate speech, largely focusing on ethnic incitement, while overlooking other forms of dangerous speech such as gender-based dehumanisation and coded language that could trigger violence.
“The definition of hate speech in our laws is limited. It does not adequately capture dangerous speech, dehumanisation, or the gender dimension of incitement yet these are the very forms of speech that are being used to prepare communities psychologically for violence,” she said.
Okatch said as part of its recommendations, NCIC was pushing for amendments to the NCIC Act and related laws to broaden the definition of hate speech, explicitly include dangerous and gender-targeted speech, and recognise how such language indirectly harms vulnerable groups including youth and women.
The commission was also calling for the translation and simplification of hate speech laws into local languages to make them easier to understand at the grassroots, she added.
“Right now, the language of policy is too technical. Many people do not understand what legally amounts to hate speech, yet they are exposed to it daily,” Okatch noted.
She said that alongside the report, NCIC has also developed a National Action Plan on Hate Speech and new social media monitoring guidelines aimed at helping institutions, media houses and communities identify and counter harmful narratives early.
The Commission singled out digital platforms as a major accelerator of dangerous speech, warning that viral nicknames, memes and AI-generated content were spreading intolerance like bushfire.
“We want to work closely with the media, especially mainstream media which is regulated, to counter these narratives positively,” Okatch said, noting that irresponsible amplification of inflammatory content was likely to deepen divisions.
Speaking during the same occasion, Joel Mburu, a senior official in the County Commissioner’s office in Kisumu, said the findings come at a critical time as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.
“As government and peace actors, we now better understand that hate speech is not just talk, it fuels violence,” he said.
“Even as we wait for legal reforms, we can start now with awareness creation, peace messaging and engaging those already spreading dangerous narratives,” he added.
He acknowledged that profiling based on tribe, gender, and even economic status was already prevalent at the community level, though often normalised as culture.
Margaret Omonde of Women Concern Centre said the report clearly showed how women aspirants bear the brunt of political hate speech, particularly during campaigns.
“Women are called degrading names and dehumanised in ways meant to discourage them from leadership,” she said.
“With 2027 campaigns slowly taking shape, we must begin civic education now, especially among women aspirants and young people who are typically used to spread this language online,” she added.
She linked the spread of dangerous speech to rising youth gang activity in informal settlements, saying many young people are manipulated into both offline violence and online abuse.
The Chairperson of the Kisumu Interfaith Network Archbishop Betty Onyang’o said religious institutions could play a key role in countering hate speech by using the pulpit to promote peace and cohesion.
“Every week we speak to thousands of people. If we have the right information, we can shape attitudes and stop dangerous narratives from taking root,” she said.
She also warned of emerging intimidation targeting places of worship, saying even non-verbal acts such as deploying goons or security officers to disrupt church gatherings sent a message of fear and division.
“That kind of silent communication is also dangerous. It tells people that even sacred spaces are not safe,” she said, urging NCIC to provide faith leaders with practical counter-narratives.
By Chris Mahandara
