By Nyang’au Araka
The Vote Peace Consortium has denounced the eruption of political violence in Kuresoi, Nakuru County, cautioning that rising tensions nationwide could weaken Kenya’s democratic progress as the 2027 General Election draws closer.
In a statement released after recent clashes between rival political groups, the consortium said three people were injured and 56 others detained during the unrest, while urging prompt investigations into those behind the attacks.
“The Kuresoi incident is another indication of the increasing use of violence as a political instrument,” the consortium said, pressing authorities to carry out comprehensive and unbiased inquiries into claims that senior political figures were connected to the violence.
The group warned that Nakuru County remains politically volatile because of its record of election-related violence, especially during the 2007-08 post-election crisis, when parts of the Rift Valley experienced some of Kenya’s most severe clashes.
“We cannot remain passive while Kenya’s hard-earned democratic space turns into a stage for violence, fear, intimidation and lawlessness,” the statement said.
The consortium tied the Kuresoi violence to a wider pattern of political disorder reported in recent months, including the assault of a senator in Kisumu, interruptions of political meetings in Kikuyu and Kisii, confrontations among politicians at public events, and growing ethnic tensions along the Mwingi-Garissa border.
The group said these incidents endanger public safety and could weaken trust in the country’s democratic process if they are not addressed.
The consortium also raised concerns over what it called early political campaigning, saying Kenya is already facing intensified political polarization more than a year before the official election season.
“Kenyans elected their leaders to serve five-year terms by delivering development, public service and solutions to the country’s urgent challengesnot to push the nation into endless political competition,” it said.
It urged the National Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and other agencies to investigate not only those who committed violent acts but also those accused of planning, funding, transporting or inciting perpetrators.
It further called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to act against hate speech, incitement and political violence.
“As the August 2027 General Election approaches, we call upon all leaders, institutions, political parties, communities and citizens to reject violence and commit themselves to peaceful, lawful and issue-based democratic engagement,” the consortium said.
The Vote Peace Consortium unites faith-based organisations, civil society groups, media, academia and private-sector actors working to advance peaceful elections and democratic governance in Kenya.