Nairobi, Kenya | February 5, 2026
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) convened a multi-sectoral Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum on 5 February 2026 at Ngong Hills Hotel to inform the development of a Training Manual on Peace, Conflict, Hate Speech, and Violent Extremism. The engagement brought together representatives from national and county government, civil society, faith-based institutions, publishing, and peace practitioners to strengthen Kenya’s peacebuilding capacity ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Speaking during the forum, Mr. Kilian Nyambu of NCIC emphasized that peacebuilding is a shared national responsibility that cannot be undertaken by one institution alone. He noted that while NCIC has a constitutional mandate to serve all Kenyans, effective peacebuilding requires collaboration, shared learning, and a common reference point for practitioners.
Mr. Nyambu highlighted a key gap in peace practice—the absence of a shared, practical reference document to guide peace and security actors across sectors. He explained that the proposed manual is intended to serve as a common foundation, enabling practitioners to distinguish between hate speech, incitement, and legitimate expression, while supporting early warning, mediation, and coordinated response.
The forum featured contributions from a diverse group of speakers, including Ms. Anastacia Some (ACT Kenya), Bishop Dr. Henry Omar (Restoration of Life Centre and Kajiado County Peace Committee), Mr. Samuel Muchiri (Sub-County Administrator, Kajiado County Government), and Ms. Loise Muteti (Kenya Literature Bureau). Speakers emphasized the importance of grounding peacebuilding tools in community realities, ensuring accessibility for grassroots actors, and adopting preventive approaches to conflict and violent extremism.
Ms. Muteti underscored the need for a well-structured, practitioner-friendly publication and expressed Kenya Literature Bureau’s readiness to support the production and dissemination of the manual. Civil society and county representatives highlighted the value of simple language, infographics, and possible translations to enhance usability at community level.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Global Peace Foundation, Mr. Daniel Juma Omondi, Africa Regional Representative, commended NCIC for convening the engagement and thanked NCIC for the invitation. He emphasized that the training manual is highly needed, particularly as Kenya approaches a period of heightened political activity.
“As we move closer to the 2027 elections, peacebuilding must shift from reaction to prevention. This manual will equip peace and security actors with practical tools for early warning, conflict prevention, and responsible engagement before tensions escalate,” Mr. Juma noted.
He further stressed the importance of values-based peacebuilding, highlighting the role of families, faith institutions, and communities in nurturing respect, coexistence, and responsible use of freedoms, including in digital spaces.
Participants identified key thematic areas to be addressed in the manual, including diversity and inclusion, inter-community conflict mitigation, combating hate speech, preventing radicalization and violent extremism, and managing online misinformation.
The outcomes of the engagement will directly inform the content and structure of the training manual, ensuring it reflects practitioner experiences and supports peace actors at national, county, and grassroots levels. NCIC reaffirmed its commitment to continued collaboration with partners to strengthen Kenya’s peace and cohesion architecture in line with the vision of peaceful coexistence and national unity.