Lamu County, Kenya, has won the UCLG Peace Prize 2026 for its work to prevent conflict, strengthen community resilience and make peacebuilding a permanent function of local government.
Announced at the UCLG World Congress in Tangier, the fourth edition of the Prize recognised Lamu County’s initiative Breaking the Wall of Peace Fragility in Disaster Zones, which combines early warning and response systems for climate and social risks, inclusive dialogue platforms and community participation. The programme focuses on youth, women, refugees and marginalised groups as co-creators of peace, improving refugeehost relations and strengthening trust in local institutions.
The Prize celebrates successful initiatives undertaken by local governments and aims to generate international attention for the role they play in sustainable and peaceful development. Launched at the World Forum of Cities and Territories of Peace in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 2 May 2025, the 2026 edition received more than 80 applications from local and regional governments around the world.
Lamu County stood out for its holistic and institutionalised approach in a highly insecure context. Through its Peacebuilding and Conflict Management Policy and Peacebuilding and Conflict Management Act, both adopted in 2022, the county has made conflict prevention and social cohesion part of the formal responsibilities of local government.
Four other finalists reflected the diversity of local peacebuilding today. Manabí, Ecuador, was recognised for a human security plan addressing organised crime and social inequality through sports, protection services, health brigades and economic opportunities. North Minahasa, Indonesia, presented an interreligious peace initiative based on inclusive governance, youth tolerance education and cultural harmony. São Paulo, Brazil, was shortlisted for the Maria da Penha Guardian Program, which protects women facing domestic violence through coordinated municipal, judicial and public prosecution action. Kapoeta North, South Sudan, was recognised for reducing water-related conflicts through community-led water governance and WASH service delivery.
Accepting the Prize, members of the Lamu County project dedicated the award to the women, youth, elders, religious leaders and fishermen who help keep communities safe: “This Prize belongs to every community member who believes that peace is something we build together.”
In the words of Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague, “Peace is an integral part of people’s daily lives. It is built when citizens have access to local public services, housing, education, healthcare, and culture; when diversity is embraced rather than feared; when communities trust their institutions; and when public spaces become spaces of encounter rather than division. True peace is cultivated locally.”
Read more: https://peaceprize.uclg.org/