Kenya’s efforts to prevent women from being radicalised and recruited into violent extremist groups have been hampered by weak implementation of County Action Plans (CAPs), inadequate funding and limited coordination among stakeholders, a new study has found.
The study assessing programmes aimed at preventing women’s radicalisation and recruitment into violent extremism found that although most of the 11 counties examined had CAPs, the plans were rarely used as the basis for implementing prevention programmes.
The study titled “Effectiveness of County Action Plans (CAPs) on the Prevention of Women’s Radicalization and Recruitment into Violent Extremism” in Kenya was conducted by the National Crime Research Center.
It says instead, many interventions were developed in response to immediate security and community needs, with their connection to the CAPs largely coincidental.
The research examined programmes in Mombasa, Lamu, Kwale, Garissa, Wajir, Isiolo, Nyeri, Kisumu, Bungoma, Nakuru and Nairobi.
Researchers conducted 107 key informant interviews and 22 focus group discussions involving government officials, security agencies, civil society organisations, religious leaders, women leaders, community representatives, political leaders and other stakeholders.
The study found that CAP implementation remained low in most counties, resulting in fragmented interventions and weak coordination among organisations working to prevent violent extremism.
It also found that few programmes specifically targeted women, with most initiatives simply including women among their broader beneficiaries.
Media and awareness programmes show impact
Media campaigns emerged among the interventions considered most effective in reaching women and countering extremist narratives.
Education and awareness programmes also recorded positive results, particularly where they used trusted community structures such as chiefs’ barazas, schools, religious institutions and local media.
In Isiolo, Wajir and Garissa, for example, counter-extremism messaging was delivered through local media in languages familiar to communities.
The researchers found that the use of community-based media, appropriate local languages and youth-friendly broadcasting times helped increase the reach of prevention messages.
School-based programmes were also considered effective because they reached girls and boys at an early age while requiring relatively limited resources.
Interfaith initiatives involving Muslim and Christian religious leaders were similarly identified as important in challenging extremist narratives and addressing the misuse of religious teachings.
Women-specific programmes remain limited
Despite the focus of the study on women, researchers found that relatively few programmes were specifically designed around the gender-specific drivers of radicalisation.
One example cited was the “Mothers in Solidarity” programme by YADEN East Africa, which was implemented in several of the counties studied.
The initiative brought together women of different ages, including women whose close family members had been radicalised and widows affected by radicalisation.
Women-led organisations were also found to play an important role in psychosocial support, community mobilisation and economic empowerment.
In Kwale, for example, the Agatha Foundation and Kwale Voices of Women Organization were identified as grassroots actors involved in psychosocial interventions.
Economic empowerment faces sustainability challenges
Economic empowerment programmes were identified as another important tool in preventing vulnerability to extremist recruitment.
The interventions included vocational training, entrepreneurship support, start-up funding, financial assistance and links to employment and markets.
Programmes involving the Women Enterprise Fund, Youth Fund and Kazi Mtaani were cited as having contributed to economic empowerment, although researchers noted that their sustainability was affected by funding constraints and changing donor priorities.
The study also found that women-focused community organisations helped mobilise women into self-help groups, making it easier for government agencies, development partners and business organisations to reach them.
Political involvement and policing criticised
The political pillar of the CAPs was found to have limited effectiveness, with researchers reporting low levels of engagement by political leaders.
Some respondents said political interests sometimes undermined prevention initiatives, including allegations that some politicians mobilised young people into criminal gangs.
The study also raised concerns about some law-enforcement approaches.
It found that the involvement of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), particularly what respondents described as threats directed at families of people who had been recruited into extremist groups, created fear and undermined trust between communities and security agencies.
The researchers concluded that such approaches could reduce the effectiveness of community-based prevention efforts.
CAPs poorly integrated into county planning
A major finding was the weak institutionalisation of County Action Plans.
Researchers found that many county governments had not fully integrated CAPs into their planning systems or allocated sufficient resources for their implementation.
Counties including Nyeri, Bungoma and Kisumu were identified as having notable gaps in the development and operationalisation of CAPs.
Meanwhile, awareness of CAPs was relatively high among respondents in Nairobi, Wajir, Garissa and Nakuru, particularly among those involved in their development. However, the study found that this awareness did not necessarily translate into alignment between the plans and actual programmes.
The researchers attributed the disconnect partly to inadequate dissemination and sensitisation on the contents of the CAPs.
Weak monitoring makes impact difficult to measure
The study further found that monitoring and evaluation systems were inadequate, making it difficult to determine the long-term impact of programmes targeting women.
NCTC coordinates some monitoring through County Commissioners’ offices, with Assistant County Commissioners involved in reporting. However, researchers cited inconsistent reporting, financial constraints and data challenges.
Some organisations, including the International Organization for Migration, YADEN East Africa, Peace Link and Midrift Hurinet, conduct their own monitoring and evaluation, but these systems are primarily designed for internal accountability rather than coordinated county-level tracking.
The lack of gender-disaggregated data was also identified as a major obstacle to measuring women’s participation and the effectiveness of women-focused interventions.
Study recommends greater funding and coordination
The researchers recommended that national and county governments provide sustainable financing for CAP activities and integrate prevention and countering of violent extremism into County Integrated Development Plans and ward-level development plans.
The study also calls for stronger monitoring and evaluation systems led by the National Counter Terrorism Centre, better information sharing and greater awareness of CAPs among grassroots organisations.
Counties have also been urged to deliberately incorporate gender-responsive programmes into their action plans and position women not only as beneficiaries but also as key actors in preventing radicalisation.
The researchers further recommended integrating emerging issues such as online radicalisation into CAPs and strengthening community ownership by involving peace committees, religious leaders, youth groups and women’s networks.
The study identifies digital radicalisation as an area requiring further research, noting the growing use of social media, encrypted messaging applications and other online platforms by young people.
Overall, the study concludes that Kenya has made progress in establishing a framework for preventing violent extremism, but the impact of County Action Plans remains limited because of inadequate implementation, weak coordination, insufficient financing and poor monitoring.
It recommends stronger integration of CAPs into county planning and deliberate investment in programmes addressing the specific vulnerabilities and roles of women in preventing violent extremism.
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