Winning Back the COAST

A Kenyan Organization is Fighting Extremism by Empowering Youths

PHYLLIS MUEMA/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KENYA COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTRE

If a battle against extremism is being waged in East Africa, coastal Kenya is on the front line.

About 3.2 million people — approximately half of them Muslim and half Christian — live in the six counties that make up coastal Kenya. The region is about 600 square kilometers and stretches from Kenya’s southern border with Tanzania to its northeastern border with Somalia. The area, especially its largest port city Mombasa, has a history of tension with the national government. The coastal population believes that it has been neglected for decades in terms of development and infrastructure spending. In recent years, Mombasa also has become a fertile ground for extremism. It is the home to several mosques where incendiary clerics preach radical ideology. A separatist movement called the Mombasa Republican Council has gained adherents and threatens to secede from Kenya by force if necessary.

Adding to this volatile mix, coastal Kenya residents are young and unemployment is rampant. About 60 percent of the population is under 25, and unemployment in five of the six counties is higher than the national average. In Mombasa, the youth unemployment rate is 44 percent — about double the national average.

It’s no surprise that radicals including al-Shabaab have recruited and planned attacks in the area. The most notable attack was the 2002 bombing of the Paradise Hotel in Mombasa that left 13 dead. In 2014, al-Shabaab extremists boarded a bus near the border town of Mandera and executed 28 passengers. Al-Shabaab later said the killing was retribution for Kenya’s security forces raiding mosques in Mombasa.

Since Kenya is still developing a coherent national strategy to counter violent extremism, local organizations are trying to fill the gap by offering young people an alternative to radicalization.

The Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE) is a nongovernmental organization established in 2006 with a mission to mobilize, organize and empower citizens to participate in social, economic and political processes. KECOSCE works with people ages 15 to 35 with a particular emphasis on reaching students, women and religious leaders. The group also works with local government agencies, including the police, civil administrators and national commissions, to address underlying conditions that give rise to violent extremism.

Over the past eight years, KECOSCE has introduced diverse initiatives in coastal Kenya including:

Holding community gatherings and school events with elected officials, police and members of the security forces to build bridges of understanding. Since many police officers posted in coastal Kenya come from other parts of the country, introducing them to the community and its culture is vitally important.

Offering training and discussion forums to aid understanding of religious teachings and narratives commonly misused by extremists to recruit youths.

Providing messaging that runs counter to extremist propaganda by broadcasting victims’ testimony in the media through radio and print.

Training young people in skills for employment. Once they gain skills and begin small-scale businesses, KECOSCE helps train them to market their business and apply for micro-loans and other sources of funding. The center has successfully trained about 2,000 people.

Empowering the marginalized through civic education and awareness, and promoting understanding of the Constitution, citizenship and leadership.

ACHIEVEMENTS

KECOSCE launched the Women Against Violent Extremism network to support female terrorism victims. The network provides solidarity for women whose children have joined violent extremist groups. The network also empowers women to challenge the ideology that promotes violence and teaches them to use their influence as mothers and caregivers to steer children away from extremism.

The center began a youth program called Kataa Kutumiwa, which means “refuse to be used,” that has provided a platform for youths to talk with older people, religious leaders and government officials. These conversations are about religious ideology and narratives that are twisted by recruiting agents to sanction violence. This has empowered young people to debate radicalizers and challenge their viewpoints. The project has educated youths about the Constitution, leadership qualities and patriotism. It has opened channels of communication between young people and government officials to discuss issues related to arrests, marginalization and unemployment.

KECOSCE used multimedia tools to promote conversations among at-risk communities. Youth discussion forums via radio, social media, discussion boards and billboards enabled moderated debates about a range of topics, including extremism, good governance and the need for young people to participate in leadership. The center also has worked to rehabilitate former al-Shabaab members and helped them share their stories about the group’s brutality.

The center held joint mapping and training workshops between law enforcement and community leaders to build a closer partnership and collaboration that promotes peace, security and respect for human rights. These workshops have opened alternate communication channels between the police and peace monitors by addressing the challenges of information sharing and showing law enforcement the importance of respecting cultural and religious practices.

THE FUTURE

Now is the time for a national discussion about how to prevent youth radicalization and provide opportunities for Kenya’s young people. The adoption of the new Constitution in 2010, which provides for a devolution of power and gives counties greater control over their finances, is a positive development. This could allow counties such as those in coastal Kenya to invest more in programs that specifically target youths who are marginalized and at risk of radicalization.

Numerous challenges still exist. A large gap of trust has developed between coastal Kenya’s young people and public figures. Kenyan security agencies have conducted arbitrary raids and profiled communities when investigating violent extremists. This has left some in the community feeling like victims of police harassment, and it feeds the potential for further radicalization and can render KECOSCE’s interventions ineffective.

We at KECOSCE believe the community needs to join hands and work with the authorities to prevent extremism. The police and public figures also need to respect the communities and their cultural values. Together, we can develop a joint strategy on how best to protect our borders, preserve our shared values, and prevent people from outside or from within who use religion to cause mayhem and destroy lives.