Former ICC suspect and ex-radio presenter, Joshua Arap Sang, has sparked controversy after threatening to take legal action against a social media critic who accused him of involvement in the 2007/08 post-election violence (PEV).
On Saturday, December 21, Sang, who now serves as the Director of Public Communications at the Office of the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, took to his X account, publicly challenging the critic, Nyamisa Chelagat, to provide evidence of his alleged role in the violence.
Sang shared a screenshot of their private exchange, in which he stated: “For others to learn a lesson of wrongly accusing people, this one must meet me in court in January so that she can present the evidence she alleges I participated in the 2007/8 PEV.”
Chelagat, however, responded flippantly on her own X account, sharing the conversation and replying, “Lol. Let’s meet in ICC. Na usiniDM till January. Niko sherehe please.”
The exchange quickly gained traction, igniting a firestorm of responses from Kenyans online.
Many rallied behind Chelagat, while others revisited the controversial events surrounding the 2007/08 violence.
Sang, who has a relatively small presence on X, became the target of intense backlash.
Users called out his threats, with some demanding evidence linking him to the inflammatory broadcasts made during the post-election period.
One prominent user, George T. Diano, accused Sang of inciting violence, writing,
“Aren’t you the same person who was telling our people to chase away Kikuyus in Rift Valley & kill those who resist?” Sang quickly responded,
requesting the audio evidence, which he claimed would lead him to court for prosecution. However, the attacks on Sang continued to pour in throughout the day.
Several legal professionals, including former ICC staff, also weighed in, with Betty, an X user, offering to provide documentation from the ICC that includes victim statements and records of violence.
Human rights activist Hanifa Adan also voiced her support for Chelagat, while lawyer Ndegwa Njiru offered pro bono legal defense for her in the event that Sang followed through with his threats.
Activists like Shad Khalif joined the conversation, urging the release of radio recordings from Sang’s show on Kass FM, where he allegedly made inflammatory statements that could tie him to the violence.
Other users accused him of continuing the same behavior that led to his ICC charges in the first place.
Joshua Arap Sang was the host of a popular morning show at Kass FM during the 2007/08 violence, where he was accused by the ICC of using his platform to incite attacks against ethnic communities.
Although the ICC case against Sang and former Deputy President William Ruto was dropped in 2016 due to lack of evidence and political interference, his role in the violence remains a subject of public debate.
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