State agencies form joint team to bar hate-speech candidates from 2027 ballot

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties announced the joint push at a press conference, casting the political conduct of recent months as a threat to national stability.

NCIC chairman Bishop Kepha Nyamweya Omae said the committee would provide strategic direction on the investigation, arrest and prosecution of those found inciting Kenyans or spreading hate speech, and that enforcement of the Electoral Code of Conduct would be strict and evidence-based.

"This is a warning against the divisive and inciting conduct of some leaders," Omae said. "If left unchecked, this trend will set the nation on a dangerous trajectory."

He said the Commission would seek the disqualification of candidates found to have violated the law through the relevant legal processes, including engagement with the Registrar of Political Parties. He added that summons issued by the NCIC must be obeyed, and that anyone who ignored them would face the full force of the law.

The chairperson of the Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC) Steering Committee, Evans Misati, said more than 15 individuals could be barred from the ballot for failing to meet the required standards. "Some of the people you see campaigning should not worry you because we will ensure they do not appear on the ballot," he said.

IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the Commission would gazette the election period later this month, marking the start of heightened electoral activity, and that a credible poll could not be held in a toxic environment. He called on the DCI, the NCIC and the Registrar of Political Parties to discharge their respective mandates.

Ethekon also urged voters to stop celebrating leaders who thrive on hate, and questioned the logic of politicians who claim they can punish voters for their choices. "If elections are conducted by secret ballot, how will these individuals know who voted for whom and then take action against them, as they claim they will?" he said.

On allegations of voter bribery circulating on social media, Ethekon said the Commission could not act on claims that were never formally lodged, and urged Kenyans to file official complaints supported by evidence rather than confining them to social media.

DCI director Mohamed Amin issued a blunt warning to politicians making what he termed reckless statements at rallies and on social media, saying their time was up. "They are leading this country towards anarchy, and that is why we have formed this multi-agency team to deal with the menace of reckless politicians," he said.

Amin also dismissed claims by a comedian who said he had obtained information from the DCI and other security agencies, saying no such information had been shared and that the individual was lying.

Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokou, who took office in October 2025, said parties were responsible for ensuring their members complied with the law, and that candidates who breached the Political Parties Code of Conduct would face the consequences provided for under the law.