REIMAGINING PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION: BUILDING A CULTURE OF TOLERANCE AND SOCIAL COHESION IN KENYA

In an era characterized by deep social polarization, identity-based conflict, and declining social trust, education has emerged as a critical instrument for fostering sustainable peace and social cohesion. This paper examines the role of education in reimagining peace in Kenya, a country that continues to experience recurrent political and ethnic tensions despite progressive constitutional and policy reforms. Anchored on Human Needs Theory, Transformative Learning Theory, and Social Learning Theory, the study explores how formal and informal education systems can cultivate tolerance, empathy, and responsible citizenship necessary for peaceful coexistence. Adopting a qualitative desktop research design, the paper analyses policy documents, scholarly literature, and institutional reports related to peace education and social cohesion in Kenya. The findings indicate that curriculum reforms such as the Competency-Based Curriculum, alongside school- and community-based peace initiatives, have created important opportunities for embedding peace values within the education system. However, persistent challenges—including limited teacher capacity, resource constraints, politicization of identity, and the growing influence of digital misinformation—continue to undermine effective implementation. The paper concludes that strengthening peace education requires systematic curriculum integration, sustained teacher professional development, promotion of digital citizenship, and active community engagement. These measures are essential for positioning education as a transformative and preventive pathway to building a culture of tolerance, social cohesion, and sustainable peace in Kenya.