Members of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security have raised proposals to merge the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Directorate of National Cohesion and Values, citing duplication of roles and resource inefficiencies during the 2026/2027 budget review.

The matter emerged during consideration of the 2026/2027 budget estimates for the State Department for National Government Coordination on Thursday 14, 2026.

Lawmakers questioned the existence of overlapping mandates between the NCIC and the Directorate, arguing that both institutions appear to implement similar national cohesion and peace-building functions.

The committee, led by Saku MP Dido Raso, who serves as vice-chairperson, sought clarification on coordination between the two entities. “I want to know how closely you are working with NCIC because largely you are working back to back,” he said.

Calls for merger and efficiency reforms

Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu raised concerns that the State Department was performing functions already assigned to other agencies, leading to duplication of activities.

“There is too much repetition and duplication of activities, and each department handling the same activity requires government funding,” she said.

Sotik MP Francis Sigei called for structural reforms within government, stating that duplication of mandates increases expenditure. “This duplication is very expensive.

Government should look at the bigger picture and streamline these areas of duplication,” he said. He further suggested that Parliament consider merging the NCIC and the Directorate to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Loima MP Protus Akuja also pointed to overlaps in funding requests for cohesion programmes in the North Rift region, noting that similar initiatives had been presented under different departments.

Defence of mandates and institutional roles

Nakuru County Woman Representative Hon. Liza Chelule defended the importance of cohesion programmes, particularly in regions experiencing conflict. “Without peace, we are not planning to do anything,” she said, urging enhanced civic education and community engagement to strengthen peaceful coexistence.

Principal Secretary for the State Department for National Government Coordination Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim rejected claims of duplication, stating that institutional roles are clearly defined under Executive Order Number One of 2025. “If we respect the mandate given to each State Department, there will not be duplication,” he said.

Secretary for National Cohesion and Values Josiah Musili explained that the NCIC and the Directorate were established under different legal frameworks following the 2008 National Accord.

He stated that NCIC handles hate speech, conflict management and mediation, while the Directorate focuses on civic education, policy development and presidential reports on national unity.

Lawmakers maintained their concerns, questioning efficiency in service delivery and the low level of digitisation within government programmes, currently projected at 25 percent under the department’s plans. The proposals form part of ongoing budget deliberations for the 2026/2027 financial year.