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Nation

Nairobi — Security will be stepped up in the home regions of the six key suspects to be charged at The Hague on Wednesday over the 2008 post-election violence.

Targeted are areas identified by intelligence reports as most likely to experience violence when the ICC chief prosecutor, Mr Luis Moreno-Ocampo, finally names the prime suspects across the political divide.

Police sources told the Nation on Sunday that intelligence officers had been sent to the regions, and the new security measures were based on their reports.

Speaking during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, President Kibaki directed police and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to deal firmly with individuals engaging in hate speech.

The President asked Kenyans to promote healing and reconciliation. Last week, a new study revealed that naming and shaming suspected perpetrators of the post-election violence could trigger fresh chaos.

The study, Embracing the Practice of Conflict Sensitive Approaches: An analysis of the Kenyan Context, was conducted by a group of international NGOs led by ActionAid.

The study says that trends of violent conflict remain similar to those in the past with a renewed cycle of conflict likely to be sparked in revenge attacks.

Speaking when the report was launched, National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia warned that some Kenyans were using social media to incite violence.

Incite attacks

Dr Kibunjia said that members of a community affected by the post-election violence were using Facebook to incite attacks against their perceived rivals.

"We have written to Facebook to alert them to be on the lookout," Dr Kibunjia said, adding, the commission had printed out some of the pages with the hate messages and would share them with police.

Some 1,133 people were killed and 650,000 uprooted from their homes after the results of the 2007 presidential elections were disputed.

Dr Kibunjia's commission had identified 29 hotspots ahead of the August referendum on the new Constitution.

They include Mathare and Kibera in Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, Naivasha, Molo, Kuresoi, Kericho, Rongai, Bomet, Bureti, Sotik, Trans Nzoia, Burnt Forest, Londiani and Uasin Gishu in the Rift Valley.

Others were Mt Elgon, Lugari and Kakamega in Western Province, Borabu, Kuria, Mombasa, Muranga, Isiolo, Kisumu, Nyambene, Garissa and Wajir.

This time round it is feared that violence is likely to erupt in home areas of Mr Moreno-Ocampo's prime suspects.