Civil Group Warns Against Giving NCIC More Powers

A war is brewing between the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and other civil groups amid the controversial National Cohesion and Integration Bill 2023.

On Sunday, the Kenya National Civil Society Centre (KNCSC) issued a scathing statement detailing why the Senate should do away with the contentious bill, which would give the NCIC the ultimate powers in the peace-keeping agenda in the country.

NCIC, through the bill, is seeking increased authority to supervise and regulate peace-building missions across the country.

But KNCSC, in a statement on Sunday, January 26, expressed concern over the prospect of the NCIC overseeing all peace-building activities in Kenya, saying it would ultimately lead to the shrinking of civic space since civil organisations would have to go through the commission in their peace-building missions.  

In an escalation of disputes between NCIC and other civil groups, the KNCSC also accused the NCIC of having ulterior motives through the bill.

“This attempt by the NCIC to superintend all peace-building activities in Kenya, under the pretext of“ensuring that such initiatives are not used to promote divisive rhetoric or political agendas, is megalomaniac, impractical and unrealistic to say the least,” the statement read in part.

The NCIC, under the proposed changes, would gain the power to approve or reject organisations or individuals wishing to conduct peace-building projects –  something which  KNCSC believes is burdensome and improper, particularly to groups that existed before the commission was formed.

“We reject NCIC proposed regulations in their totality, in view of their potential to burden organizations that are already registered by other regulators to seek and report to the NCIC as a precondition to doing the work for which they were established and for which they are already registered by their respective regulators,” the statement went on.

However, the NCIC, through its proposal, has argued that some meetings disguised as peace-building missions are being used for political gain – further dividing the country along ethnic lines.

There have also been allegations from the commission that some of the peace-keeping initiatives by some civil groups are breeding grounds for radicalization of the youth.

Under Article 27 of the constitution, the NCIC is mandated to promote peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and respect for diversity as well as coming up with policies to promote national values and governance principles.

Amid rising political tensions in recent weeks, one of NCIC’s latest warnings was targeted towards leaders against what they termed as ‘divisive rhetoric’ among political leaders.