A cohesive society is what we endeavour to have as the National Cohesion and Integration Commission. We want to embrace diversity culturally and politically to have a united country.
The NCIC has worked over the years to bring the country together and to live up to the aspirations of our Founding Fathers.
Diversity defines us as a country. We need to embrace each other so we can value the input of each and every citizen.
Article 10 of the Constitution addresses national values and ethos. They are what makes us as a country. The NCIC is the custodian of these principles.
We are working to ensure that Kenyans abide by them and practice what is stipulated in the Article. If we can embrace these values, we can have a cohesive society that is free from hate.
The other aspect that the NCIC is pursuing is to encourage Kenyans to be patriotic as we were many years ago.
As we embrace technology and new ideas, we should not forget that we are one indivisible country.
We will be pursuing all avenues available to ensure that Kenyans embrace diversity and unity.
The President has been keen on urging us to be mindful of each other and be our brother’s keeper. If we can rally together, definitely we will eliminate suspicion and negative tribalism.
We should be prepared to go beyond tolerating each other and respect each other’s views and perspectives on issues of national interest.
We should also change our attitude and behaviour towards one another and stop profiling each other on the basis of tribe or religion.
In the coming days, we will thoroughly audit all the 47 counties to ensure they comply with the employment law.
There is the provision that 30 per cent of positions in counties should be reserved for non-county residents. But some counties are in violation of this provision and have turned them into tribal cocoons. We need to bring this to an end.
Lastly, we need to leverage the things that bring us together such as sports and culture to build a cohesive nation.
The NCIC chairman spoke to the Star