Kenya shifts anti-terror focus, offers amnesty to militant youth

Between late last year and now, more than 200 people died from terror attacks in northern Kenya, with the militant group al-Shabaab from Somalia claiming responsibility for the deaths.

In response, the Kenyan government says it will include the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and religious leaders in the fight against terrorism. The change of strategy employs incentives more than use of force. The government also announced amnesty for youth who had gone to Somalia for military training and came back into the country.

According to Principal Secretary of the Interior Monica Juma, the government wants to formulate an all-inclusive approach where “effective non-governmental organizations and the private sector shall be involved.”

Already, Muslim and Christian leaders from the most affected areas have been working together to counter the radical narrative of the terrorists and to scuttle attempts to drive a wedge between Christians and Muslims.

A regional conference on countering violent extremism is set to take place later this month in Nairobi. Juma said the forum will focus on the role of media and internet in fighting terrorism. The four-day forum will bring together senior regional and global players in security matters.

The government wants to establish where young people are being recruited and what motivates them to join terror groups. The Ministry of the Interior announced some youths who had been recruited into al-Shabaab responded to the amnesty call by the government, and they will be reintegrated back into society,

But even as it made the announcement, there are those who still question the government’s commitment to work with civil society.

Hussein Khalid, whose organization Haki Africa was recently banned by the government, accuses the government of human rights abuses and indiscriminate targeting of the country’s Muslim community.

“The Kenyan government is cracking down on those who have sought to engage in counter-radicalization efforts simply because they have dared to question its tactics,” Khalid said. The government banned another nongovernmental organization called Muslims for Human Rights, ostensibly because it failed to adhere to regulations.

Security expert Ben Muoki, while lauding the latest government move, said it is time for Kenya to get out of Somalia.

“What is significant in the approach is incorporation of religious leaders, especially the Muslims, whose past non-involvement opened avenues for extremism in mosques,” he said.

But he said more action is needed: “This, for me, indicates progress in government’s handling of the sector, although it isn’t all that should be done. We need a comprehensive, responsible, withdrawal strategy for our troops from Somalia.”

Following the attack on Garissa University College in April that killed 148 students, U.S. President Barack Obama and other top U.S. officials pledged to provide more assistance to Kenya to help fight terrorism. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Kenya in early May, while Obama is expected in the country in July.