The holding of meetings disguised as peace-building missions that end up as avenues for spreading hate speech has led the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to develop tough rules to provide guidance.
The commission, in its proposals to the National Assembly on the National Cohesion and Integration Bill 2023, wants MPs to grant it more powers to have authority to supervise and determine what constitutes a peace-building mission.
The commission, in its proposal, wants to have the final say on any organisation or persons who want to conduct peace-building missions, including disclosing the source of finance of such missions.
The move, according to the commission, is to take measures to ensure that persons involved in peace-building projects in the counties do not instigate, perpetuate, or deepen instability or strife in any area.
The tough conditions being proposed by NCIC are aimed at curbing organisations and individuals that hide under peace missions but their meetings either end up being political or fanning ethnic animosity in the country.
Other such meetings disguised as peace-building missions have also turned out to be avenues for the radicalisation of young people along religious lines, a move that ends up causing divisions.
Currently, the commission under Article 27 of the Constitution is mandated to promote peaceful co-existence, tolerance, respect, understanding, and acceptance of diversity in all aspects of life and encourage appreciation by all ethnic communities of the social, economic, cultural, and political life of other communities.
It also mandates equal access and enjoyment by persons of different ethnic, racial, or social origins to services and facilities provided by government and private entities.
Further, the commission is mandated to develop policies for the promotion of national values and principles of governance.
The commission’s proposals to the National Assembly are targeting Clause five of the Bill which relates to its functions.
In its proposals on the expansion of its mandate, the commission wants the lawmakers to grant it powers to develop ethical standards to be adhered to by persons involved in peace-building projects and missions in the country.
Before any organisation or person embarks on any mission, the commission now recommends that it must be furnished with the names of the officers in charge of the peace-building project and any other information that it may require.
Those wishing to do any form of peace-building in the country will also be required to provide the commission with a statement as to whether the applicant has carried out any other similar project within the targeted community and its outcome.
An organisation or person planning to do a peace-building project will also be required to provide a schedule of activities proposed to be undertaken in the exercise, time-frame of the peace-building project, the source of financing for the project, and a statement as to whether there is any conflict of interest.
An individual or organisation will also be required to describe the peace-building project or activity that the applicant intends to undertake.
Those planning to undertake peace-building activities will also be required to provide a statement to the commission of the place where the project is to be carried out and the targeted community together with the objectives of such an exercise.
“A person who intends to engage in a peace-building project in Kenya shall notify the Commission of the project and give details about the project,” reads the NCIC proposals.
The commission also wants powers to develop a monitoring and tracking mechanism for all peace-building projects in the country.
It is also seeking to have powers to develop ethical standards to be adhered to by persons involved in peace-building projects.
The commission further wants to advise persons involved in peace-building projects on best practices for achieving lasting cohesion and integration in any particular area.
