By SHABAN MAKOKHA
September 17, 2026| A proposed political peace charter meant to curb electoral violence ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election has hit its first major hurdle after political parties declined to sign it, exposing deep disagreements over consultation, inclusivity and accountability.
The Political Decency, Peace and Accountability Charter was presented during a two-day national stakeholders’ conference convened by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to develop measures aimed at preventing political incitement, violence and other forms of electoral conflict .
Instead of the anticipated signing ceremony, the process ended in disagreement. Parties complained they had only seen the document shortly before the meeting and needed more time to examine it .
“We have been brought to sign the charter without enough time,” said Republican Liberty Party chairman David Momanyi Mose. “We saw it yesterday and we have been hurried to sign it. It has no legal force and does not offer any help to our country. We have rejected it for further review” .
The parties also criticised the absence of major political formations, including the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Democratic Action Party (DCP), arguing that a peace agreement would have greater legitimacy if major political actors participated in its formulation .
“Parties have been reluctant to sign the charter because the major political parties causing this violence did not attend. Why did they not attend? UDA, surely,” said Democratic National Alliance Secretary General Barack Muluka .
Some representatives further questioned whether political parties should be expected to sign a document when authorities had not acted decisively against individual politicians accused of inflammatory conduct .
They also demanded stronger assurances about the credibility of the electoral process, including a commitment from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to deliver a free and fair election .
NCIC Chairman Kepha Omae subsequently postponed the signing, saying the commission would engage political party principals and officials before convening another forum .
“We will talk to all party principals and officials and convene another forum where we will now officially sign the peace charter before we move to the grassroots,” Omae said .
“Peace Cannot Wait for Perfect Politics”
For peace advocates, the disagreement should not become the end of the conversation. It should become the beginning of a much bigger one.
“The danger is that the disagreement over the process could overshadow the purpose,” warned Elphas Were, a peace ambassador.
The advocates fear that as Kenya moves closer to the 2027 General Election, unchecked rhetoric from politicians could exact a heavy human cost.
They regret that in the worst circumstances, those who suffer most when politicians cross the line are often ordinary citizens with little influence over political decisions.
“Innocent Kenyans who never attend a political rally, never contest an election and never insult a rival end up becoming victims of violence unleashed in the name of politics,” said Were. “Majority of the Kenyans who get affected by political incitement and violence are so innocent and naive. They want peace.”
According to the peace-builders, a politician may lose an election and go home. A political party may lose a seat and prepare for the next contest. A candidate may walk away from the campaign trail and return to private life.
But what happens to the ordinary Kenyan when political words turn into violence?
Roads become unsafe. Markets close for farmers. Traders watch customers disappear. Schools become inaccessible. Some families are forced to abandon homes built over decades.
A Charter Without Enforcement?
The parties’ objections have also raised a critical question: Can peace exist without accountability?
Some party representatives argued that political leaders accused of inciting violence should face action, rather than political parties being expected to sign commitments they believe are not being equally enforced .
That argument places enforcement at the centre of the peace debate. A charter can contain beautiful words, promise restraint, condemn hate speech and call for peaceful campaigns. But the credibility of such a document ultimately depends on what happens when someone violates its principles.
Peace advocates want political leaders, institutions and citizens to move beyond declarations and build a culture where inflammatory conduct attracts appropriate accountability.
They say Kenya should not wait until campaign rallies become dangerous before beginning peace-building.
“Prevention is cheaper than reconstruction and reconciliation is easier before communities become enemies,” Were emphasised. “Dialogue must begin early.”
NCIC has framed its 2027 roadmap around early warning, early response and collaboration among political actors, security agencies, civil society, religious organisations, the media and communities .
The proposed charter itself calls on political parties to embrace issue-based politics and reject hate speech, ethnic incitement, political intolerance and organised goonism. It also urges responsible use of social media and encourages parties to hold their members accountable when they cross the line .
Importantly, the charter is voluntary. NCIC says its significance lies in the willingness of political parties to demonstrate statesmanship and a commitment to leading by example, rather than treating peace as a responsibility of institutions alone .
“Children Are Watching”
For peace advocate Kennedy Kunani, the answer is not for political leaders to walk away from the table but for them to return to it, negotiate, listen, raise their concerns, and ultimately keep talking.
He appealed to leaders of political parties to present themselves whenever NCIC calls them to participate in decisions aimed at promoting peace and national unity before, during and after elections.
“There is another reason political leaders should care about the example they set,” he pointed out. “Children are watching. Young people are listening, and they are learning what leadership looks like.”
He said if young people see adults responding to disagreement with insults, intimidation and violence, they may learn that power belongs to the loudest and strongest. But if they see leaders sitting together despite their differences, negotiating, listening and accepting disagreement, they learn another lesson — that democracy does not require enemies.
Kunani noted: “Behind those words are millions of Kenyans who simply want to wake up, go to work, take their children to school, run their businesses and return home safely. They do not want to fight their neighbours because of political differences.”
Were added: “Let the political parties accept to sign the charter. Kenya has seen before how political competition can acquire a life of its own when words spoken from podiums travel through villages. A political insult can become a community grievance, and when fear takes hold, innocent people pay the price.”
The proposed peace charter may have stumbled at its first major hurdle. But the need for a shared commitment to peaceful politics remains.
Kenya has a responsibility to ensure that political ambition never becomes more important than human life. The country’s political future belongs not only to those seeking power, but also to the millions of ordinary citizens whose greatest wish is simply to live together in peace.