International Day of Peace: ENAF Calls for Proactive, Grassroots Action Ahead of 2027
To mark the International Day of Peace 2026, Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) joined fellow Kenyans, national peace actors, security agencies, and civil society at Prestige Plaza in Nairobi. In a colourful event under the global theme “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” ENAF’s President and CEO, Dr. Jennifer Riria, emphasized the importance of Kenya’s peace preparedness ahead of the 2027 General Election. Addressing a high-level convening that included the National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management; the National Police Service; and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), Dr. Riria challenged stakeholders to shift from reactive emergency responses to proactive, community-led peacebuilding. “Peace is not something we inherit automatically,” Dr. Riria told the assembled peace actors and duty bearers. “Every generation must choose it, protect it, and invest in it”.
In alignment with this call for local action, ENAF continues to drive grassroots peacebuilding through its flagship program, the Tuvuke Initiative. This year alone, ENAF reached nearly 16,000 individuals across five counties, actively training 52 Women Peace Champions to help identify emerging tensions, facilitate dialogue, and connect affected community members to appropriate support. Using simple but effective tools like WhatsApp networks, local safe desks, Nyumba Kumi elders, and the 1195 gender-based violence hotline, these women are actively mediating local conflicts, identifying protection concerns, and referring survivors to appropriate services. Crucially, ENAF has expanded this grassroots network by working directly with local boda boda operators, empowering them to resist political manipulation and work alongside the women champions to keep their neighborhoods safe.
Demonstrating this commitment during the event, peace actors including boda boda riders signed the Tuvuke Initiative Peace Charter, a voluntary public commitment where they pledged to respect the rule of law, protect women and girls, and serve as trusted peace ambassadors.
To ensure these frontline peace actors have the support they require to safely and effectively carry out their work, ENAF is actively advocating for structural support from local authorities. ENAF continues to challenge local police and security agencies to provide Women Peace Champions with direct, 24-hour contact lines, ensuring that when a mother calls for help late at night, the phone is actually answered. Furthermore, ENAF urges the public, particularly the youth and boda boda riders, to be careful about the media they consume, asking them to verify information before forwarding inflammatory videos or voice notes on WhatsApp. Dr. Riria concluded her participation by joining fellow leaders in launching “The Dear Kenya Peace Campaign” and signing the official Commitment to Peace pledge, cementing ENAF’s commitment to inclusive, community-led peacebuilding and social cohesion.
