Mt Kenya MP Urges Leaders To Leave Social Media If They Can’t Stand Trolls
Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji has criticized some of the country’s leaders for taking social media criticism personally.
To avoid online criticism, he recommended them to follow former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s lead and deactivate their social media accounts.
Mukunji did, however, agree that social media attacks were growing more toxic, with many leaders experiencing personal attacks. He stated that he had also been a victim of such online attacks.
“Kama kiongozi yeyote anasikia social media imemlemea, funga hiyo account, hakuna mtu atajua…wewe wachana na social media,” he said.
He claimed that retired President Uhuru took the same approach and chose to forsake social media after becoming the target of similar online insults during his rule.
“When the former President found it intolerable to look at his social media, he left social media,” he said.
“Kama kiongozi unaskia social media imekulemea, funga hiyo account” – MP Gitonga Mukunji pic.twitter.com/V6rG9ZLM8U
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) December 28, 2024
Abduction debate has become a daily subject, with some relating the claimed abduction of some social media influencers to social media posts that other leaders found objectionable.
Police have denied involvement and recommended parents and families of missing loved ones to make a report with them to help with investigations.
Mukunji stated that parents should not continue to suffer while searching for their missing children, who are suspected to have been abducted as a result of their social media posts critical of certain authorities.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, seven people were abducted in December alone, and one of them was found.
The remaining six missing people are reported to have been kidnapped between December 17 and 25.
Steve Mbisi from Machakos, Billy Mwangi from Embu, Peter Muteti from Nairobi, Bernard Kavuli from Nairobi, Gideon Kibet, often known as Kibet Bull from Nairobi, and Rony Kiplang’at from Kiambu.
They are accused of misusing their social media accounts to disseminate obscene statements.
A group of leaders has put pressure on the police to strictly enforce the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Law against people who misuse social media.
Kimani Ichung’wah, Leader of the Majority in the National Assembly, expressed worry about the increasing misuse of computers and digital platforms by young people.
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According to Ichung’wah, the police should arrest anyone involved and charge them in court as a lesson for others.
“Arrest them and make it public that you have arrested people and take them before courts of law so that it becomes a deterrent to those who are misusing computers, artificial intelligence, not only to insult (but) do other very uncouth and uncivilized things,” he said.
Minority leader Junet Mohammed, for his part, stated that while freedom of speech and expression exists, everyone should do so within the confines of the law.
He said those misusing their digital platforms should be arrested and charged in court.
Mt Kenya MP Urges Leaders To Leave Social Media If They Can’t Stand Trolls
