President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Council of Governors on Wednesday agreed to operationalise security arrangements between the national and county governments through the launch of the County Policing Authority.

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The authority is tasked with coordinating the two governments on policing issues.

The move is aimed at maintaining a stable, peaceful and cohesive country ahead of the 2017 poll.

In a joint statement sent to newsrooms following a meeting at State House, Nairobi, the president and the county bosses led by their chair Peter Munya, also gave security agencies in the country the mandate to deal with perpetrators of hate speech and incitement.

“Stern action will be taken against hate mongers irrespective of status or position. We must be clear that we shall not balkanize the country for whatever reason or purpose,” read the statement in part.

Action will also be taken against individuals who misuse social media as well as vernacular broadcasters and radio stations who propagate hate speech or incitement.

The leaders further called for the speedy issuance of National Identification Cards to ensure all eligible Kenyans can participate in the elections.