Review of NCIC’s Role

The Kenya Kwanza Government promised to review the role of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

• The  National Cohesion and Integration (Amendment) Bill, 2025 which  seeks to provide the NCIC with swift enforcement powers, including the authority to issue prohibition notices and halt harmful conduct within seven days.
• Under the proposed reforms, the Commission is seeking powers to vet politicians seeking elective or appointive positions to ensure they meet national values and cohesion standards.
• In November 2025, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen declared vacancies for the chairperson and seven commissioners as their six-year terms concluded. A selection panel was constituted to recruit new leadership tasked with implementing the reformed mandate.
• The Commission has shifted its focus towards digital spaces, launching Social Media Monitoring Guidelines and the Kenya National Action Plan on Hate Speech and Radical Ideologies in February 2026 to combat online incitement ahead of the 2027 elections.
• There is now deeper integration between the NCIC and the National Police Service, with 12 joint high-level investigations into hate speech and incitement reported as of February 2026