NCIC Refutes Blogger Claims Of Banning 'Tugege' Phrase

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has denied reports alleging that it is planning to impose a ban on the word "Tugege."

NCIC was responding to blogger Cyprian Nyakundi who claimed that there was a plan to ban the Tugege phrase and arrest those found using it.

"NCIC is alleged to be planning to ban the use of the term 'Tugege' after complaints from some leaders. Those who use it will likely face arrest and prosecution," Blogger Nyakundi tweeted.

Portrait of controversial blogger Cyprian Nyakundi. /FILE

NCIC however disassociated itself from the allegations claiming that it was threatening to ban the phrase owing to complaints from a section of political leaders.

"We wish to correct the information being peddled through social media to the effect that the NCIC is planning to ban the term "Tugege".

"The Commission disassociates itself from these allegations. Kindly ignore them," stated NCIC

Tugege is a Kikuyu term which translates to sycophants or retard and refers to someone who cannot make independent decisions despite having brains.

The decisions, he or she makes, are always wrong and based on emotions or hatred for someone.

It can also mean someone following another person blindly without knowing the destination.

It has been recently used by leaders from the Mount Kenya region in reference to politicians who blindly follow President William Ruto's government.

The phrase was a top trend for the better part of Wednesday morning, September 27 with speculation that the commission was planning to ban the term which has been commonly used in political circles in the Mount Kenya region.

It became popular after the Kenya Kwanza government took power and used to refer to politicians who did not support the coalition known for its 'Yellow Wave' prior to the 2022 general elections.

NCIC has been banning terms from being used in the heat of political campaigns, including madoadoa, hatupangwingwi, chunga kura, Watajua hawajui’, operation Linda Kura, watu wa Kurusha mawe among others.

Hatupangwingwi phrase however got a reprieve after the High Court in July 2022 scrapped its ban by NCIC.

Justice Antony Ndung'u on Thursday, July 14, 2022, found that the commission did not inform the public about its intention to ban the phrase as provided for under Section 7 of the Fair Administrative Action Act, 2015 alongside other words classified as a lexicon or as bordering hate speech and incitement to violence.

Another phrase whose ban was overturned was watajua hawajui, which is translated to 'they will know what they don't know'.

NCIC is a body that was established under the National Cohesion and Integration Act in 2008, mandated to facilitate and promote equal opportunity, good relations and peaceful co-existence between persons of different ethnic groups, religions and racial communities in Kenya.

A court gavel. /FILE