Public mistrust, political violence and online incitement are among the key threats to peaceful elections in 2027, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has warned.
NCIC Director of Research and Knowledge Management Millicent Okatch said the Commission was engaging communities, institutions and young people to address the challenges before they escalated into electoral violence.
Okatch said NCIC had identified five roadblocks to peaceful coexistence and developed corresponding strategies to address them.
She said the second edition of the Commission’s Roadmap to a Violence-Free 2027 General Election, dubbed Uchaguzi Bila Noma and launched on August 25, 2026, seeks to strengthen early warning and response mechanisms, promote responsible political leadership and enhance collaboration among security agencies, electoral institutions, political actors, civil society and communities.
Ms. Okatch said early interventions were necessary to prevent tensions from escalating into violence.
She identified limited trust between citizens and institutions, mistrust among communities, an entrenched culture of violence and the negative use of social media and technology among the obstacles requiring attention.
She said the Commission was working with institutions to promote public participation, expand spaces for engagement and strengthen civic education ahead of the elections.
Ms. Okatch said institutions responsible for voter education, civil society organisations and other stakeholders needed to work together to help citizens understand their roles in the electoral process and rebuild public confidence.
She said the Commission was engaging young people to discourage political violence and encourage issue-based political participation.
The NCIC director observed that inflammatory statements and incitement were increasingly spreading through social media, making responsible digital engagement necessary.
She urged Kenyans to use online platforms to promote peace, understanding and diversity while rejecting messages that vilify other communities or encourage division.
Ms. Okatch called for young people to be included in political dialogue and decision-making, saying they should participate in co-creation workshops and other forums where decisions affecting them are made.
She said government agencies and other stakeholders needed to work together to address the economic and social vulnerabilities that exposed some young people to political exploitation, including by creating employment opportunities.
Responding to concerns about possible unrest in Obunga in Kisumu City, Okatch said she was encouraged by the youth’s account of having rejected calls to participate in protests in 2024 after witnessing the effects of divisive politics.
She said the participants had expressed a commitment to peace in honour of the ideals of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Okatch expressed confidence in the community’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, saying residents and other stakeholders had a shared responsibility to maintain peace in Kisumu and across the country.
She called on media practitioners to embrace conflict-sensitive reporting and strengthen collaboration with editors ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“We want conflict-sensitive reporting. Yes, we want conflict-sensitive reporting. We also want to enhance capacity-building with the media editor so that as we move towards 2027, there is that collective responsibility,” she said.
The NCIC director said early engagement before, during and after the elections will be critical in promoting national cohesion.
“And we believe if we begin early, during and after the general election, we’ll be able to ensure that Kenya holds together,” she said.
The remarks were made during a two-day youth café conversation in Kisumu, where young people discussed the potential consequences of electoral violence and their role in promoting peaceful coexistence ahead of the 2027 polls.
Maseno University law student Lynn Masawa urged young people to reject political violence, saying the country’s future depended on decisions made by the current generation.
Masawa said violence could have long-term consequences, including deepening ethnic divisions and undermining young people’s economic opportunities.
She described Kenya as an inheritance that the youth had a responsibility to protect and pass on to future generations.
“Kenya is not for Luos or Luhyas. Or any other community, Kenya is one country,” she said, urging young people to learn from history and recognise that the consequences of political violence affected all Kenyans regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.
Masawa called on the youth to unite around shared national interests rather than allow ethnic or political divisions to determine the country’s future.
Robert Odhiambo, a resident of Nyakatch Sondu, said the engagements had helped enlighten young people on the importance of peaceful elections.
Odhiambo commended NCIC for previously engaging residents, politicians and local leaders in Sondu following post-election violence and ethnic tensions, saying the area had since made progress towards peaceful coexistence and development.
He expressed optimism that continued engagement with young people and communities would contribute to peaceful elections in 2027 and help make Kenya a safe place for residents and visitors.
The youth cafe builds on NCIC’s previous Elections Bila Noma initiative, which sought to address factors contributing to election-related violence, including ethnic divisions, mistrust and political intolerance.
The second edition, dubbed Uchaguzi Bila Noma, was launched on August 25, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general election. It seeks to strengthen early warning and response mechanisms, promote responsible political leadership and enhance collaboration among institutions, political actors, civil society organisations and communities to prevent violence before, during and after the elections.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) in Kenya was established in 2008 under the National Cohesion and Integration Act, No. 12 of 2008, and it began official operations in 2009. It was formed in response to the 2007–2008 post-election violence to promote peace, national unity, healing, and harmony among Kenya’s ethnic communities.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission is mandated under the National Cohesion and Integration Act, No. 12 of 2008, to investigate complaints relating to hate speech, ethnic contempt and ethnic discrimination.
By Mabel Keya-Shikuku, Dorothy Pamella and Amanda Ijai Wamalwa
