The Public Service Commission (PSC) has declared vacancies in the positions of Chairperson and Members of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), calling the members of the public who qualify to apply for the positions to do so by February 13, 2026.

Taking it to their Facebook account on Friday, January 30, 2026, PSC has noted that the applicants who apply for the position of chairperson and the members of the commission must be Kenyan citizens and holders of a degree from a recognised university with a minimum of two years of experience related to race, ethnic and human relations.

“Declaration of Vacancies for the Position of Chairperson and Members of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC). Application Deadline: 13th February 2026,” PSC stated.

The invitation to the application for these vacancies by PSC follows a declaration through a gazette notice by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on November 4, 2025.

Contrary to initial calls from the Senate suggesting a disbandment, the NCIC clarified that the tenure of the current chairperson and seven commissioners was naturally concluding.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, NCIC Chairperson Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia affirmed that the commission remains fully operational. He stated that media reports alleging the commission was disbanded were incorrect and misleading.

The applications will now be seeking to fill one slot for the commission’s chairperson and seven slots for the position of members of the commission.

The outgoing commissioners, led by Rev. Dr Samwel Kobia, assumed office on November 19, 2019, for a single, non-renewable six-year term as stipulated by the National Cohesion and Integration Act of 2008 and Article 250(6). Their term officially ended on Monday, November 17, 2025.

The leadership transition comes at a time when the NCIC has faced heightened criticism.

On Monday, November 3, 2025, senators expressed frustration with what they termed the commission’s ineffectiveness in curbing a recent surge in hate speech and ethnic profiling, particularly on online platforms.

Senators threatened to push for the transfer of the NCIC’s mandate to other state agencies, warning that inaction on inflammatory rhetoric could jeopardise national stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The names of the shortlisted candidates for the positions will be handed to the president for appointment after the shortlisting by the PSC.