23 counties to be monitored during electioneering period, NCIC

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has mapped out 23 counties as likely hotspots to be monitored carefully during the electioneering period

The 23 counties include Kisumu, Mombasa, Lamu, Bungoma, Vihiga, Kiambu, Homa Bay, Bomet, Garissa among others. 

During an inaugural State of peace and political decency briefing, NCIC Commissioner Abdulaziz Ali Farah however noted that Nakuru and Uasin Gishu counties previously perceived as conflict hotspots around elections had registered considerable improvement over the last ten years as a result of good local leadership efforts. 

On her part, NCIC Commissioner Dorcas Kedogo said that, “NCIC is undertaking initiatives like the Uwiano platform, targeted peace building campaigns, hotspot mapping, national symposia and hate speech monitoring to mitigate risks to election violence.”

During the briefing also meant to highlight hate speech management efforts and peace building interventions, NCIC said it is monitoring closely a number of risk factors that could possibly lead to election violence.

These include ethic balkanization (the division of a multinational state into smaller ethnically homogeneous areas), increased inflammatory attacks and hate speech by politicians, a transition of political narratives towards division along ethnic lines and misuse of social media platforms.

NCIC in addition noted that since January 2022, hate speech on social media has gone up by 20%.

NCIC intends to present this briefing every two weeks.