Counties have developed laws to prevent violent extremism and radicalization within their departments and protect vulnerable people from radicalization and recruitment.
The laws, based on the unique security challenges, will establish county institutions to provide linkages between national law enforcement agencies and community structures in the prevention of violent extremism in the respective counties.
The Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo has said the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) Model Bill is a framework that provides counties with the tools to effectively integrate prevention strategies into their governance structures.
“It also mainstreams funding for these initiatives, foster collaboration between national and county governments, and empower communities to take a proactive role in combating extremism,” he said.
The PS was speaking during the PVE Model Bill for County Governments Workshop in Naivasha.
Dr Omollo highlighted the persistent threat posed by violent extremism, emphasizing that while security agencies have successfully thwarted numerous attacks, vigilance remains critical.
“We must ensure that Kenya does not become a safe haven for terrorist or extremist activities,” he stated.
There are diverse manifestations of violent extremism, including banditry rooted in cultural practices, which has fueled inter-community violence, and the Shakahola tragedy, which exposed the evolving nature of extremist ideologies.
As a result, the government has called for enhanced community-driven and culturally sensitive approaches to address these challenges.
“The Model Bill aligns with the National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism (2016) and equips counties to contribute meaningfully to national peace and security,” the PS stated.
The meeting was attended by the Director of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Kigen Kibiego, Nakuru County Commissioner Layford Kibaara, and the Director of Legal at the Council of Governors Irene Ogamba.
The government has also 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.
NCTC’s Kigen has said that though the security agencies have deployed a variety of robust military measures, also referred to as hard approach, the threat of extremism and radicalization still persists.
“Ours is to focus on soft approaches, the security agencies are also doing their bit. The government has also done its bit. In the online domain, we are also pushing radicalization back, and as we transition to the new strategy we have seen successes that we want to build on so that more successes can be sustained,” he said.
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