Multi-Sectoral Coordination and Collaboration Forums on Peace and Security Institutionalised in Kenya

CHANGE

The Ministry of Interior and National Administration of Kenya issued a circular on July 25, 2024, recommending the establishment of Regional, County and Sub-County Multisectoral Coordination and Collaboration Forums on Peace and Security across the 47 counties in Kenya. This represents a significant shift in the country’s approach to peacebuilding and violence prevention, emphasizing building inclusive platforms for dialogue and cooperation between various stakeholders^[1], including both state and non-state actors.

To institutionalize these forums, the standard operating procedures were developed by the safety and security stakeholders led by the National Steering Committee (NSC) on Peace Building and Conflict Management and shared with all the Regional and County Commissioners.

The first multisectoral forum was launched in Nairobi County on November 13, 2024, followed by forums in Nakuru, Baringo, West Pokot, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. Additionally, multisectoral forums were established in five sub-counties: Nakuru East, Nakuru West, Njoro, and Naivasha in Nakuru County, and Kibra in Nairobi County.

The multisectoral forums meet quarterly, and each county and sub-county forum has developed action plans to guide the implementation of peace and security initiatives. For example, the Deputy County Commissioner from Kibra Sub-County convened a meeting on 12^th Feb 2025 to map out stakeholders to participate in the launch of the multisectoral forum, while they at the same time developed a workplan on violence prevention for Kibra Sub-County.

A key element of the forums’ sustainability has been the nomination of community leaders as co-chairs. Four community leaders, trained through the Place-Based Leadership Development Programme (PBLD) by MIDRIFT HURINET, were appointed as co-chairs for the multisectoral forums in Nakuru West, Njoro, Naivasha and Kibra sub-county.

CONTEXT

Kenya’s governance structure consists of the National Government and 47 county governments. Matters of peace and security are primarily a function of the National Government’s Ministry of Interior and National Administration through the offices at the Regional, County, Sub-county and location levels^[2]. The government’s approach to peace and security is predominantly the domain of security agencies and little involvement of non-state actors. 

Before the issuance of the circular by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, which institutionalized the multisectoral forums on peace and security, coordination between various sectors and regions on security issues was fragmented. Efforts often focused on short-term concerns, such as election preparedness. The absence of a structured, nationwide mechanism for collaboration and coordination meant that violence prevention initiatives involving both state and non-state actors were often addressed in isolation.

With the establishment of the forums, inclusive platforms are being built to: Promote peace and security by fostering dialogue and cooperation for conflict prevention and resolution; coordinate actions across sectors through information sharing, mutual support, and the harmonization of efforts among various sectors; capacity build stakeholders in peace and security for effectiveness; and build monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for continuous assessment of progress and impact.

During the National conference on Multisectoral Coordination and collaboration on peace and security in Kenya on September 24, 2024  Mr. Mohammed Barre, Secretary, National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management expressed to the stakeholders that “while peace and security were once considered the sole responsibility of the national government through the Ministry of Interior, new knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned indicate that multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration forums are the most effective approach to addressing peace and security challenges in Kenya.”

While commissioning the role of the Multisectoral Coordination and Collaboration forums out to the 11 sub-counties in Nairobi city, the County Commissioner also emphasized that “where there is peace, there is prosperity, and this initiative aims to contribute to both peace and national development.”

CONTRIBUTION

In 2021, the Ministry of Interior directed the County Commissioners and Deputy County Commissioners to form County and Subcounty Multisectoral forums on election preparedness in the run up to 2022 general elections. MIDRIFT HURINET supported the Nakuru and Baringo County Multisectoral forums on election preparedness while also convening local level political dialogue fora bringing together local stakeholders to discuss on violence prevention while also holding their leaders to account. MIDRIFT HURINET also co-chaired the Nakuru County Multisectoral forum. The forums played a key role in creating peaceful 2022 general elections in the areas where they were operating as compared with previous elections.

Following this success, MIDRIFT HURINET worked closely with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration through the offices of the Nakuru and Baringo County Commissioners to repurpose the Multisectoral Coordination and Collaboration Forums from “Election Preparedness” to “Peace and Security”, through letters dated 12th October 2022, and 20th November 2023 respectively.

In 2023, MIDRIFT HURINET conducted an impact study titled “Creating Peaceful, Fair and Non-Violent Elections^[3] – Lessons Learned from Local Leadership Development in Nakuru and Baringo Counties, Kenya 2021-2022″. The findings of the study were launched in a national conference in Nairobi on October 2, 2023. The report was positively received by key stakeholders, who strongly encouraged MIDRIFT HURINET to develop a policy brief highlighting the significance of these forums in addressing peace and security challenges.

A policy brief advocating for the establishment of Multisectoral Coordination and Collaboration Forums on Peace and Security in all 47 counties of Kenya was developed and used as an advocacy tool to lobby senior officials in the Ministry of Interior. As a result, in July 2024, the Principal Secretary issued a circular directing regional and county commissioners to establish these forums at the regional, county, and sub-county levels.

The NSC in partnership with MIDRIFT HURINET, Act! and other stakeholders held a national conference bringing together peace and security actors to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for implementing the circular. The SOPs provide clear guidelines and best practices to ensure consistency and effectiveness in their operations across the country. NSC also worked closely with Nairobi, Baringo and Nakuru County Commissioners and MIDRIFT HURINET to establish the Multisectoral Coordination and Collaboration Forums on Peace and Security at the County and sub-county levels. The sub-county   forums were established in Nakuru East, Nakuru West, Njoro and Naivasha in Nakuru County, and Kibra in Nairobi County.

---

[1]  Youth and women groups, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), security sector agencies, media and private sector, transport and motorcycle riders, Independent Offices and Commissions, Community Based Organizations, Local Peace Committees, Special Interest Groups (PWDs), University/Technical Training Institutes, Elders, County Governments, Opinion Leaders among others

[2] https://www.interior.go.ke/national-government-administration

[3]Report of a research titled: Creating Peaceful, Fair And Non-Violent Elections 2023: Publications

LESSONS

1. Evidence based programming is key to influencing public policy.
2. Violence prevention is a collective responsibility between state and non-state actors as it enhances collaboration and coordination of violence prevention (the essence of the multisectoral approach).
3. The multisectoral approach presents a platform for stakeholders to hold each other accountable on matters of peace and security.

EVIDENCE

1. The Multisectoral Reports
2. Multisectoral Coordination and Collaboration Approach: Lessons from 2022 electoral violence prevention and preparedness, Policy Brief No. 01 of 2024
3. The study titled: “Creating Peaceful, Fair and Non-Violent Elections 2023”
4. The minutes from the Multisectoral forums
5. County and sub-county multisectoral work plans

SUBSTANTIATORS

1. Mr. Mohamed Barre, Secretary, National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management
2. David Wanyonyi, County Commissioner Nairobi
3. Mohamed Ali, Deputy County Commissioner Kibra