Leaders Urge Kenyans to Embrace Integrity, Active Citizens Ahead of 2027 Elections.
Secretary for National Cohesion and Values Josiah Musili, EBS, addresses participants during the 2026 World Values Day celebrations, where leaders urged Kenyans to uphold integrity, unity and active citizenship ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Government officials, anti-corruption leaders and student representatives have called on Kenyans to embrace integrity, patriotism, political tolerance and active citizenship, warning that ethnic and political divisions could undermine national cohesion as the country approaches the 2027 General Election.
The leaders made the call during the 2026 World Values Day celebrations held at Kenya Railways Headquarters in Nairobi, where they emphasised the need to translate constitutional values into everyday actions to promote peaceful elections, accountability and national development.
Abednego Etyang, representing Principal Secretary for National Government Coordination Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim, urged Kenyans to place national interests above personal, ethnic and regional considerations to safeguard unity before, during and after the elections.
“As we approach the 2027 elections, I challenge every Kenyan to prioritise the national over individual, ethnic or regional interests. This will ensure that our country remains united and peaceful during and after the election,” Etyang said.
He said Article 10 of the Constitution provides the foundation for national values and principles of governance, which should guide citizens’ decisions, behaviour and participation in the country’s development.
“The National Values and Principles of Governance are a core part of the supreme law of this country. They define our identity; guide our choices, actions and behaviour,” he said.
Etyang noted that the State Department for National Government Coordination, through the Directorate of National Cohesion and Values, had rolled out programmes targeting families, community leaders, faith-based organisations, civil society groups, youth and political leaders to strengthen the adoption of national values.
He cited a training manual developed to help parents instil positive values in children and young people, noting that it had been used to train parents in Nyamira, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nairobi and Bungoma counties.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Abdi A. Mohamud, said promoting ethical conduct was essential to tackling corruption, warning that enforcement measures alone could not eliminate the vice without a strong culture of integrity and accountability.
“The fight against corruption is inseparable from the promotion of these values. Corruption thrives where integrity is compromised, accountability is weak and public resources are treated as personal property,” Mohamud said.
He said investigations, prosecutions and the recovery of unexplained assets remained important but needed to be complemented by deliberate efforts to nurture ethical behaviour across society.
“The EACC recognizes that the fight against corruption requires more than investigations, prosecutions and recovery of unexplained assets. While enforcement remains essential, deliberate effort to promote an ethical culture based on our values remains the surest bet to defeat corruption in our country,” he said.
Mohamud urged public officers to recognise their positions as a public trust and ensure decisions on recruitment, procurement, service delivery and public expenditure were guided by fairness, merit, legality and the public interest.
He also called on citizens to reject electoral bribery, discourage hate speech and respect the rule of law as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 polls.
He said active citizenship should extend beyond voting and attending public forums to include protecting public property, reporting wrongdoing, obeying the law and contributing positively to communities.
Secretary for National Cohesion and Values Josiah Musili, EBS, said World Values Day offered an opportunity to raise public awareness and encourage Kenyans to voluntarily practise the values enshrined in the Constitution.
Musili said the government had developed programmes targeting different sectors of society but stressed that promoting national values required collective commitment from citizens and institutions rather than government efforts alone.
“Our clarion call to elected leaders is to refer to the values in Article 10 of the Constitution, particularly patriotism, national unity, democracy and participation of the people,” he said.
He expressed confidence that Kenya could conduct peaceful elections without undermining national cohesion, urging political leaders to exercise tolerance and uphold constitutional principles.
“We can have elections without tearing the country apart. We can have one country even after the elections,” Musili said.
He called on individuals and institutions to take responsibility for building a cohesive nation by promoting patriotism, unity, democracy and public participation.
Student leaders from Nairobi National Polytechnic also challenged young people to reject ethnic divisions and take an active role in promoting peace, accountability and responsible citizenship during the electioneering period.
Fred Nyagechi, a student leader at the institution, said young people had a responsibility to lead positive change by taking personal accountability and working together to achieve a common goal.
“If we want change, change will begin with us. We need to take accountability for ourselves so that we can get the change that is needed,” Nyagechi said.
Teddy Ochieng, Secretary General of the Nairobi National Polytechnic Students’ Leadership, urged Kenyans to uphold integrity and strengthen cooperation across ethnic communities, cautioning against actions that could threaten peace as the country heads towards the elections.
“We need to work together as a team, and we need to promote good values and integrity wherever we are,” Ochieng said.
He urged citizens to remain calm and ensure their actions benefited their communities and the country as a whole.
Nairobi National Polytechnic President Jimmy Anaro called on young people to champion love, peace and unity, saying their participation would be crucial in ensuring the 2027 elections remained peaceful.
“Today we want to spread love, peace and unity. We want to be united as youth because we are approaching the season of election, and in 2027 we need the election to be peaceful,” Anaro said.
The celebrations were held under the global theme, “Values and Volunteerism,” which highlights selfless service, civic responsibility and collective action. The national theme, “National Values and Active Citizenship,” seeks to encourage Kenyans to put constitutional principles into practice in their daily lives.
The event’s message centred on the need for political leaders, public officers, young people and citizens to uphold ethical conduct, reject divisive politics and work together to protect national unity while strengthening accountability and democratic participation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
By Gladys Karuga
