You can't choose for us phrases not to use - Ruto tells NCIC after 'hatupangwngwi' ban

NCIC baned the ‘hatupangwngwi’ phrase among others and DP Ruto has now dismissed the move terming it an exercise in futility.

Speaking at a Karen on Saturday for the reception of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to UDA, Ruto claimed that Kenyans are knowledgeable and understand what they are expressing with the terminology.

“Instead of these people wasting their time fighting with literature, they should actually get an opportunity to fashion a plan and agenda to sell to the people of Kenya and stop reengineering our literature,” he said.

“I think it is an exercise in futility to try and tell us which Swahili and English words we should use. We are decent people, intelligent, knowledgeable and we know what we are saying.”

Ruto added that Kenyans have refused to be intimidated using terms perceived to be dividing or inciting.

“Wale wanafikiria watatupanga kutumia system, tunawaambia watajua hawajui,” he added.

Ruto appeared to suggest that NCIC chair Samuel Kobia was pushed by some people to ban the phrases.

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On Friday, NCIC chair Kobia released a list of terms that he deemed inciting and amounting to hate speech; among them ‘Hatupangwingwi.

Ruto, on the other hand, produced the song “Hatupangwingwi” a few hours after the NCIC announcement, which has been heavily used in his campaigning.

Despite the ban, the DP stated during the Saturday event that the word will continue to be used.

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