Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan have partnered to strengthen regional cooperation and build sustainable solutions to pressing security threats, including violent extremism and community conflicts.
The multi-country initiative is meant to establish and address ‘push factors’ which create environments in which extremist narratives can flourish and successfully attract followers.
It is a collaboration between the United Nations Development (UNDP) Regional Service Center Africa (RSCA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and is aimed at supporting the three countries in strengthening peace building infrastructures, preventing violent extremism, and enhancing social integration through promoting community empowerment, cohesion, and economic resilience.
The programme aims not only to strengthen communities, especially youth, women and vulnerable groups by leveraging proven methodologies and insights from other regions but also to improve socioeconomic capacities and livelihoods, making them more resilient.
Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo said Wednesday November 13 the risks Kenya faces are not unique to Kenya but are common globally, hence the need to leverage the collective security framework outlined in the United Nations (UN) charter to address these threats effectively.
Dubbed the Regional Programme on Peacebuilding and Preventing Violent Extremism in East Africa, it will strengthen the societies’ and individuals’ abilities to reject extremist belief, avoid radicalization, terrorist threats and other crimes, considering the fact that terrorism and other crimes are fuelled by social, economic and political inequities, and that those who are disadvantaged or isolated are particularly susceptible to radicalization.
It also identifies the challenges that lie ahead, and chart a course of action that aligns with the new Peacebuilding Architecture, which will enable the countries effectively, address the root causes of violent extremism.
“There is a crucial need to strengthen the national legal and institutional frameworks, enhance border controls, and promote regional cooperation.
Effective implementation of these measures requires more than just local efforts; it requires sustained political will, adequate resources, and enhanced international assistance,” he said.
He said preventing violent extremism remains a national security priority, given the multifaceted and expanding nature of the threat.
Competition for natural resources and border disputes, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions, has similarly been a source of extremism.
“In these areas, pre-existing grievances are often exploited by extremist groups to further their agendas,” the PS said.
Communities, particularly in vulnerable regions, are often the primary targets of these threats.
“Social cohesiveness and peace cannot be enforced; they must be willingly embraced by citizens to be fully guaranteed and sustainable,” he said.
The UNDP Kenya, according to the UNDP resident Representative Anthony Ngororano, will collaborate with the Ministry of Interior to implement Kenya’s component of this programme.
Kenya has long been a strong advocate for peace and has consistently prioritized development over conflict.
“Despite our special status, where we have comparatively maintained peace and stability more effectively than many in the East and Horn of Africa region, we still face our own share of challenges,” the PS said.
Kenya has also witnessed occasional extremist activities including the Westgate, Mpeketoni, Garissa University, and Dusit attacks and most recently, the Shakahola tragedy, which underscore the persistent threat of religious motivated violence in the country.
In March last year, President William Ruto initiated a comprehensive evaluation of the Peacebuilding Architecture demonstrating the commitment to tackle the dynamic challenges related to peace, security, and societal cohesion.
The Ministry of Interior also appointed an Independent Panel of Advisors, comprising of thirteen distinguished Kenyan peacebuilders, to spearhead the national dialogue and formulate what we term as the New Agenda for Peace in Kenya.
There are varying risks across different regions that contribute to radicalization and the escalation to violent actions.
The Peacebuilding Architecture outlines specific violent extremist risks, including conflicts related to identity and politics, exposure to extremist ideologies and sensationalist coverage through online and media platforms, as well as limited economic opportunities that push individuals towards extremist groups.
PS Omollo said the risks Kenya faces are not unique to Kenya but are common globally, hence the need to leverage the collective security framework outlined in the UN charter to address these threats effectively.
“I would encourage all agencies to engage with government bodies, including the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), which coordinates efforts to prevent violent extremism,
and the National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management, which works to promote peace and prevent conflicts across communities,” he said.
There are also over 500 community-driven Peace Committees in the country, which integrate traditional dispute resolution involving elders, women, youth, and inter-faith leaders.
Already in Kenya, the government has adopted softer approaches that include the involvement of youth and religious leaders in fighting the complex and dynamic threat of violent extremism, following the adoption of the second National Counter Terrorism Strategy.
The softer approaches, said to be preventive and proactive, will involve use of religious leaders to offer counter narrative that debunk misinformation, the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) and the youth who are the most vulnerable.
The document, which stipulates the approaches to be taken to address violent extremism in the next five years, also expands the definition of violent extremism and the ideologies that are used to promote it in a basic manner that allows the general public to understand its key drivers and channels of promotion that were not clear in the previous strategy.
The first strategy, developed in 2016, was reactive and focused more on enforcing the laws. It was also faulted for leaving some areas blurred and failing to align with the dynamic nature of violent extremism.
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