Political parties reject NCIC Peace Charter ahead of 2027 polls

Political parties have rejected a new Political Decency, Peace and Accountability Charter proposed by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), exposing fresh cracks in preparations for the 2027 General Election.

The parties refused to sign the charter at a national stakeholders’ conference on peaceful elections, accusing NCIC of rushing them into endorsing a document they had not been adequately consulted on.

They also demanded action against politicians accused of making inflammatory remarks and fuelling violence, arguing that political parties cannot be held accountable for unrest while individuals accused of provoking it escape sanction.

The charter seeks to make political parties accountable for the conduct of their members, including those linked to violence.

The parties declined to sign the charter at a national stakeholders’ conference on peaceful elections, citing inadequate consultation, lack of public participation and what they described as failure by state agencies to act against politicians accused of inflammatory remarks and violence.

The charter seeks to make political parties accountable for the conduct of their members, including those linked to violence and other breaches of electoral peace.

But representatives said they had been presented with the document at the last minute and given insufficient time to scrutinise its provisions.

Reform Liberation Party (RLP) chairman David Momanyi Mose said parties were being pressured to endorse a document they had barely seen.

“We have been brought here to sign the charter without enough time. We saw it yesterday, and we have been rushed to sign it,” Mose said.

He argued that the proposed charter had no legal force in its current form and called for its review.

The rejection exposed growing tensions between political parties and state institutions over responsibility for preventing election-related violence, barely 11 months to the 2027 polls.

‘Where are the major parties?’

The parties also questioned the absence of major political formations from the conference, arguing that the very parties with the greatest political influence should have been involved in negotiating the document.

DNA secretary Barack Muluka singled out the absence of major parties, questioning why they had not participated in the discussions.

“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,” Muluka said.

The criticism placed NCIC under pressure to explain how a charter targeting political violence could gain broad legitimacy without the participation of major political players.

Mose further accused state agencies of failing to act against politicians whose utterances allegedly contribute to political tensions.

He cited recent incidents in Homa Bay and questioned why leaders accused of inflammatory statements had not been arrested.

“They are blaming political parties. Which political party caused the chaos? It is politicians,” he said.