Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga has warned that his office will take firm legal action against individuals involved in acts of goonism and politicians making inflammatory statements, regardless of their political affiliation or position in government.
Ingonga said the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) would not discriminate when dealing with cases involving criminal conduct, insisting that anyone found culpable would face the law.
Speaking alongside security officials, the DPP said there would be no categories or exceptions in the prosecution of offenders, whether they are linked to the government, opposition or security agencies.
"I want to assure Kenyans that anyone found, and in my case we don't have categories whether it's government, opposition, police. Anyone found culpable will be held to account," Ingonga said.
The DPP also warned political leaders against making inflammatory remarks, saying such statements risked undermining national unity and could fuel tension among Kenyans.
"This also applies to the issue of inflammatory statements, which are being made by politicians across the divide," he said, adding that his office would work with relevant agencies to address such cases.
He urged political leaders and members of the public to uphold peace, warning that Kenya could not afford to descend into lawlessness because of the actions of a few individuals.
"We only have one country, and that is Kenya. We should not allow some characters with their own issues to influence good Kenyans to get into a state of anarchy," he said. "As DPP, I assure Kenyans that this breach of peace will be dealt with accordingly."
Ingonga said the ODPP was collaborating with the National Police Service (NPS), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and other institutions to ensure individuals involved in incitement and criminal activities were dealt with according to the law.
"We will collaborate with the DCI and NCIC to deal with these characters so that they are brought to book," he said.
The remarks came a week after President William Ruto directed security agencies to take firm action against goons and criminal elements, warning that violence, lawlessness and destruction of property would not be tolerated.
"We must call out criminality for what it is. We must secure our country from goons and other criminal elements. Now that we have a consensus on this, our security agencies must do their job within the law," the President said.
The DPP noted that NCIC had already taken up cases involving inflammatory statements and that once investigations were completed, the files would be forwarded to his office for further action.
He assured Kenyans that those found responsible would face appropriate legal measures, regardless of their status or influence.