NCIC Summons MP Kaluma Over Controversial Remarks

Officials made clear that any failure to honour the summons would result in his arrest, as the body continues its probe into comments that raised serious concerns about political tolerance. The invitation seeks Kaluma’s cooperation in clarifying remarks made in his home county last week that appeared to target critics of the sitting president.

Speaking in the local dialect before supporters, the legislator issued a sharp directive aimed at those opposing another term for President William Ruto. “As of today, we are issuing the command that anyone that says one term deal with them. Anyone that has worked with the other side, even if they were a driver and they feel they cannot walk with us, must now disappear,” he declared, according to the commission’s record of the event. He further stated that hotels and houses used by perceived opponents would face inspection and possible consequences, adding that he had already funded transport for supporters to move across Homa Bay and Rodi.

Kaluma reinforced the message by insisting that the area remained an ODM stronghold where the president must secure two terms, warning once more that talk of a single term would not be tolerated. These comments came ahead of an opposition gathering organised by the Linda Mwananchi group that took place in Homa Bay County on Sunday, August 16. The lead-up to that event had already seen roads blocked and private property looted the previous night, with disruptions continuing into the following day and forcing organisers to seek alternative routes.

The commission had earlier expressed alarm at the growing climate of political hostility in the region, cautioning that unchecked intolerance and violence risked plunging the country into lawlessness. In a public statement it described the disturbances in Homa Bay as unfortunate and worrying, emphasising the threat they posed to peace, security and open democratic participation. The body stressed that while every person in the country retains the right to organise political activities anywhere, those rights must be exercised without incitement, hate speech or public disorder.

As the deadline for Kaluma’s appearance approaches, attention remains fixed on how the commission will handle the investigation and what broader signal the episode sends about the limits of political speech in a charged pre-election atmosphere. The episode underscores the delicate balance authorities are attempting to maintain between free expression and the need to prevent inflammatory rhetoric from escalating into further unrest across the country.