A Multi-Agency Steering Committee, supported by a Technical Operations Committee, has been established to coordinate the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of hate speech, ethnic incitement, political intolerance and electoral violence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Formed by a coalition of State agencies led by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the committee will provide strategic direction and oversee a coordinated crackdown on offences linked to hate speech and election-related violence.
"The Steering Committee will address policy and institutional bottlenecks, while the Technical Operations Committee will coordinate real-time monitoring, evidence preservation, case referral, investigation, prosecution and enforcement," the statement reads.
The initiative brings together institutions including the National Police Service, IEBC, DCI, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Communications Authority and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
In a joint statement dated August 3, 2026, the agencies raised concern over what they described as rising political indecency, including hate speech, ethnic contempt and abusive language being spread through public forums and digital platforms.
They warned that unchecked rhetoric could undermine national unity, saying hate speech threatens human dignity and the constitutional order.
“Hate speech is not free speech; it is an assault on human dignity and on the constitutional order that binds this nation together. Left unaddressed, it spreads like wildfire through dry brush, consuming in days the cohesion it took generations to build,” the statement read.
“Kenya has walked this road before, and the cost is remembered too well to be repeated.”
The agencies said freedom of expression does not extend to incitement to violence, ethnic hatred or war propaganda, citing constitutional provisions and the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
They further warned that political leaders who breach election and party codes of conduct could face sanctions, including fines, disciplinary action, prosecution or disqualification from contesting where legal thresholds are met.
The agencies urged political leaders to promote responsible discourse ahead of the 2027 elections and called on citizens to report and avoid spreading hate speech.
"We demand that all political leaders exercise political hygiene in word and in conduct. Leadership calls for decorum in every engagement, and we expect leaders to lead by example, not by incitement," said the agencies.