People Dialogue festival returns for 8th edition

The Centre for Multiparty Democracy has announced final preparations for the 8th Edition of the People Dialogue Festival, a four-day national civic forum aimed at fostering structured and issue-based dialogue as the country gears up for the 2026 electoral cycle.

The announcement was made on 3 March 2026 during a press briefing in Nairobi, where CMD-Kenya outlined plans to convene political parties, civil society, state agencies and citizens in a bid to strengthen democratic engagement.

This year’s festival will focus on elections preparedness, bringing together key players in the electoral ecosystem to deliberate on voter registration, electoral integrity, political party readiness, dispute resolution mechanisms and civic education.

Among the institutions expected to participate is the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, whose chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon will lead dialogue sessions on strengthening public trust and enhancing electoral systems.

CMD-Kenya said voter registration services will be available at the festival venue throughout the four days to allow eligible Kenyans to register and update their details.

Building a national issue-based agenda

The multiparty platform, which brings together over 30 political parties across the political divide, said the festival will culminate months of nationwide engagements held since October 2025.

These include high-level policy dialogues with governance experts, county town hall forums to capture grassroots views, and school and campus dialogues targeting youth participation in democratic processes.

According to Frankline Mukwanja, CEO of CMD-Kenya, the engagements have generated citizen-driven proposals that will be consolidated into a national issue-based agenda during the festival.

He said the process is part of a long-term effort to institutionalize dialogue-driven politics and shift national discourse from personality-based competition to policy-focused engagement.

The 8th People Dialogue Festival is being co-convened by more than 50 civil society organizations, over 30 political parties, learning institutions and more than 10 state agencies.

CMD-Kenya described the broad participation as a whole-of-society approach that recognizes credible elections and effective governance require collective responsibility.

The organization has called on the media to comprehensively cover the festival and facilitate public discourse on emerging issues. It also urged Kenyans from all walks of life to actively participate in shaping the country’s democratic future through structured dialogue.

The People Dialogue Festival has evolved into one of the country’s leading civic platforms aimed at promoting multiparty democracy and strengthening accountability in governance.