Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has established a six-member selection panel to recruit a new chairperson and members of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
In a gazette notice on Tuesday, November 4, Murkomen declared vacancies in the position of Chairperson and seven members of the commission, with effect from November 17, 2025.
The Interior Cabinet Secretary noted that the six-year non-renewable term of the current NCIC chairperson and members will expire on November 17.
“Now therefore, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 17 of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission Act as read with the procedure set out under Paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act, do hereby;
“I declare impending vacancies in the position of Chairperson and seven members of the Commission, with effect from the 17th November, 2025, and constitute a Selection Panel for the recruitment of nominees for appointment as Chairperson and Members of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission,” read part of the notice.
The selection panel comprises former NTSA Director General Francis Mejia, Reuben Chirchir, Pauline Mecharo, Alfred Mshimba, Michael Nzomo Mbituka, and retired Justice Hannah Okwengu.
The NCIC was established following the 2007-2008 post-election violence to promote national identity and values.
The commission is tasked with mitigating ethno-political competition and ethnically motivated violence, eliminating discrimination on ethnic, racial, and religious basis, and promoting national reconciliation and healing.
This comes a day after lawmakers raised concern over the rise of inflammatory utterances and ethnic profiling.
The Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration on Monday held a meeting with NCIC officials to deliberate on measures to curb hate speech and promote inclusivity ahead of the 2027 general election.
The meeting followed concerns raised by nominated Senator Catherine Mumma over unchecked inflammatory statements by political figures.
However, the committee turned away the NCIC officials led by Daniel Mutegi for failing to present proper documentation, including unsigned official submissions.
The committee also urged NCIC to take its mandates seriously, warning that laxity could heighten tensions as the country heads toward the next general elections.
