INVOLVEMENT OF RELIGIOUS ACTORS AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN LOCALIZATION OF EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM (PCVE) IN KENYA
This report draws from discussions during the JISRA Partners Joint Learning event held on 1st March 2024. This was the second joint learning event organised by KECOSCE with the main objective of increasing awareness and building capacity of JISRA partners to be able to meaningfully engage in the implementation of the Kenya national strategy as well as the county level Actoin Plans for preventing and countering violent extremism in Kenya. It examines the progress and barriers in implementing the whole-of-society approaches to Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism that leads to terrorism (PCVE) in Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, and Tana River counties.
Key reflections include addressing trust deficits between communities and security agencies, cocreating intervention programs, ensuring sustainability, including religious actors, women and youth as well as community led structures like peace committees and community policing groups. Hosted by Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE), learning event gathered 23 participants from JISRA partners in Kenya and the Kenya National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
This brief summarizes the discussions and insights from the event, providing an overview of PCVE programming challenges and progress.
Introduction
Violent extremism is a growing security, economic and social threat in Kenya that demands multifaceted prevention and countering interventions. The threat landscape continuously evolves at local, regional, and global levels. In Eastern Africa, Al-Shabaab (AS) remains the primary actor impacting Kenya’s national security. In 2012, AS pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda (AQ). PCVE efforts are hinged on SDGs 16:(Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions); 1:(Eradication of Poverty); 4:(Quality Education); 5:(Gender Equality); 8:(Decent Work and Economic Growth); and 17:(Partnerships for the Goals).
The efforts are also backed up by a number of declarations by the UN Security Council such as; United Nations Security Council Resolution 1624 (2005) which was concerned with preventing the incitement of terrorist acts through both its prevention and criminalization under national law. The resolution also stressed the importance of developing counter-narratives to violent extremism, especially in relation to non-violent means of conflict prevention and resolution.