Mumias East MP Peter Salasya is set for a full trial on hate speech allegations after conciliation efforts with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission failed. The court has scheduled the hearing for January 17, 2026. If convicted, he risks a three-year jail term or a Ksh 1 million fine.
Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya's hate speech case will proceed to a full trial following the collapse of mediation talks with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC). Senior Resident Magistrate Paul Mutai made the ruling after learning that the conciliation process stalled due to the expiry of the NCIC commissioners' term.
Prosecutor Virginia Kariuki informed the court that the commission could not mediate as its mandate had ended before talks began. "The conciliation proceedings stalled following the expiry of the Commission’s term," she explained. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions had initially requested the referral to NCIC for assessment and recommendations, but the commission's role was limited to evaluation, not determining guilt or innocence.
Salasya was charged with intentionally publishing inflammatory remarks on his X handle in May, targeting members of two ethnic communities. The charge sheet states that the words were insulting, inciting, and aimed at stirring ethnic hatred. Under the National Cohesion and Integration Act of 2008, a conviction carries a penalty of up to three years in jail, a Ksh 1 million fine, or both.
Proposed amendments in the National Cohesion and Integration (Amendment) Bill, 2022, could increase penalties to a 10-year jail term or Ksh 10 million fine for disseminating hate speech via media, along with a five-year disqualification from public office. Earlier, the case was set for mention on November 11, 2025, for an update on NCIC findings, but the failure to proceed led to the trial decision.