Political party primaries and nominations have emerged as a key battleground in efforts to prevent election related violence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Stakeholders at the Amani Conference convened by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) warned that political violence cannot be addressed only during the election period, arguing that tensions often begin much earlier during the scramble for party tickets.
Registrar of Political Parties John Lorionokou urged political party secretary generals to enforce the law and their parties’ rules during primaries and nominations.
“These politicians are the trouble we have. Political parties have a duty to ensure their officials, candidates, members and supporters are uphold the code of conduct,” Lorionokou said.
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“As an office, we have a mandate to regulate political parties, we will do the best to ensure that those political parties account for the officials and candidates that are attached to them,”
Lorionokou warned that allowing individuals with a culture of violence and intimidation to secure party tickets could have consequences beyond the nomination process.
He said political parties have a responsibility to ensure that candidates seeking elective positions follow the rules, noting that individuals who use violence to win nominations risk taking the same behaviour into communities and the wider political process.
“Political party nominations, primaries are they fair, inclusive, transparent, peaceful or are they full of violence, intimidation and goonism because these problems can follow us all the way through the wider electoral process,”
The Registrar said his office would take action against parties that fail to comply with the law, signalling increased scrutiny of political parties as the country moves towards the 2027 polls.
“I want to speak to secretary Generals of political parties, we are drivers of this political processes, Kenyans are consumers of the products we produce, and advertise and sale. All Eyes are on you, when you calm the political environment they listen, when you inflame it, they can also escalate,”
Counties urged to help prevent violence
The Council of Governors called for closer cooperation between county governments and NCIC in efforts to identify and address tensions before they escalate.
Representing Council chair Ahmed Abdullahi, Phanuel Ojwaya said county governments are strategically placed to support peacebuilding efforts because of their proximity to citizens and local communities.
“County governments are closest to communities; we must be ready to work. With NCIC, other stakeholders to strengthen these mechanisms for peace,” COG said.
The Council also raised concerns over the treatment of women seeking elective positions, with cases of attacks and threats against female aspirants cited as part of the wider problem surrounding Kenya’s political culture.
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“We must change the way we do politics in Kenya,”
Stakeholders called for a change in how political competition is conducted, particularly where disagreements over nominations and political positions turn into intimidation or physical attacks.
Police mapping election violence hotspots
The National Police Service has already started mapping areas considered vulnerable to election-related violence ahead of the 2027 polls.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli said the exercise will use intelligence to identify potential hotspots and guide security preparations.
“Security starts with you. A peaceful election cannot be secured by security agencies alone; it requires citizens to work with security actors and take responsibility for the information they consume and share,” said Masengeli.
Masengeli also condemned the violence and deaths reported during a political gathering in Embu County on Saturday involving Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.
He cautioned young people against accepting handouts from politicians to disrupt political meetings, warning against their use in political confrontations.
The mapping exercise is expected to help security agencies identify areas requiring closer attention before political campaigns intensify.
NCIC wants early intervention
NCIC Chairperson Bishop Dr Kepha Omae said the 2027 election provides Kenya with an opportunity to demonstrate that peace is essential to a functioning democracy. Omae urged political leaders and their supporters to avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could deepen divisions between communities during the campaign period.
“The 2027 General Election gives us an opportunity to demonstrate that peace is a critical enabler of democracy. We must choose prevention over reaction and national unity over political expediency. Let us sustain peace before, during and long after the elections,” Omae said.
He called for political competition to be centred on policies and ideas rather than language and actions that could provoke communities against one another.
The Amani Conference, bringing together stakeholders involved in electoral and peacebuilding matters, is seeking to identify risks ahead of the 2027 elections and develop measures to address them before they become crises.
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