NCIC urges media to promote peace, cohesion ahead of elections

Richard Nderitu, Principal Programs Officer at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, addresses participants at a media workshop in Kisumu on February 24, 2026./KNA

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission has appealed to the media in the country to take the lead in promoting coexistence and peace during the upcoming election period.

NCIC Principal Programs Officer Richard Nderitu said the media is a powerful tool in politics and can either build or break a nation, urging journalists, especially on social media, to avoid relaying unconfirmed or sensational reports that could trigger instability in the country.

“What you say to the public, especially the youth, whether negative or positive, and how you say it influences the actions of the populace,” Nderitu said.

He urged the media to be vigilant and report responsibly and professionally, adding that Kenya has in the past paid a heavy price in violence that was partly fueled by media coverage.

The remarks were echoed by NCIC Deputy Director of Research Jescah Otieno, who likened the pen wielded by the media to a single matchstick that, when struck, can destroy a large building or property.

“Despite the challenges, NCIC is working to ensure the country remains in one piece before and after the 2027 general election by looking out for early warning signs,” Nderitu stated.

Speaking during a media workshop in Kisumu on Tuesday, the two watchdog officials voiced concern over what they termed rising political temperatures fueled by early campaigns in the country.

They reiterated that NCIC will continue to play its role in ensuring those who fuel violence and threaten cohesion face the full force of the law.

One person was killed during the Linda Mwananchi rally in Kitengela a fortnight ago, and last weekend another person was killed during a political rally in Vihiga, while scores of others were injured in Kakamega on Saturday.

A trend is emerging where hired goons are used to disrupt political rallies, as teargas canisters are lobbed at crowds attending political meetings, and more recently in a church in Nyeri.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has directed police to deal firmly with elements propagating violence as the country moves closer to the August 2027 general election.

The country has a history of sliding into violence after elections. The 2007 election will continue to be entrenched in the minds of Kenyans, when more than 1,000 people were killed and more than half a million displaced following the disputed election.

The NCIC as established in 2008 under the National Cohesion and Integration Act No. 12 of 2008. It was created in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 post-election violence to galvanise national unity, equality, and harmony.