Address Terrorism Financing To Deal With The Threat, CS Tuya Tells Countries

Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya Tuesday challenged countries to address the financing mechanisms that sustain terror groups.

Tuya said terrorism remains a threat as long as the financing issue has not been addressed.

She said while countries made significant progress in disrupting terrorist networks and degrading their capabilities, one area remains a persistent and strategic enabler of terrorism-the financing mechanisms that sustain these groups.

“Terrorist financing fuels recruitment, planning, logistics, and operations. Without addressing the financial lifelines that sustain these networks, our broader counter-terrorism efforts risk being undermined,” she said.

She said Kenya recognizes that effective countering terrorism financing requires robust international cooperation, shared intelligence, harmonized legal frameworks, and continuous capacity development.

She made the remarks when she launched a four-day training on counter-terrorism financing by the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) in Nairobi County.

The multi-agency training seeks to strengthen IMCTC member states’ capabilities to detect, disrupt and dismantle illicit financial flows.

Kenya, which joined the 42 member states coalition in September 2022, will host a similar training and a Training of Trainers (ToT) course in August and December this year respectively, she said.

Tuya termed the training a critical initiative that underscores the country’s collective commitment to enhancing regional and international security.

“The threat of terrorism continues to evolve – its impact devastating lives, destabilizing societies, and undermining development across the globe. Our region, too, has not been immune to its destructive consequences.”

She said Kenya values her partnership with the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition – a coalition of 42 nations committed to confronting extremism and violence in all its forms.

“This collaboration directly aligns with our national strategy on counter-terrorism financing and anti-money laundering.”

She told the meeting the multi-agency nature of the training is particularly commendable as it reflects an understanding that the fight against terrorism financing must be integrated, cross-sectoral, and coordinated across both national and international levels.

“This course is more than a capacity-building programme – it is a strategic investment in the skills, networks, and institutional resilience needed to detect, disrupt, and dismantle illicit financial flows.”

She added strengthening the technical and operational capacities of our Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is essential for achieving durable results.

“The knowledge imparted through this training will foster greater synergy among key actors and deepen our commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to security.”

The CS acknowledged the forward-looking plans to institutionalize the training programme.

She said the training is emblematic of the kind of global solidarity required to meet today’s security challenges.

IMCTC Secretary-General Maj Gen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi was among those in attendance.