Countering violent extremism in Kenya

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the evolution of countering violent extremism (CVE) in Kenya, moving from primarily military-based responses to a multi-sectoral approach. It evaluates the experiences of state and non-state actors, the implementation of the National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism (NSCVE), and the development of County Action Plans (CAPs) in high-risk regions.

• Kenya has transitioned from a military-centric approach to a multi-sectoral strategy. The National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism (NSCVE), launched in September 2016, is the first to recognize radicalisation as a process and utilizes nine pillars—including education, psychosocial, and faith-based approaches—to engage citizens and non-state actors.
• The implementation of CVE has been decentralized through County Action Plans (CAPs), which are five-year strategic plans tailored to local contexts. Six counties—Mombasa, Mandera, Lamu, Kilifi, Kwale, and Garissa—have developed these plans, with Mombasa and Mandera demonstrating particular innovation in economic and women-focused pillars.
• Civil society organisations (CSOs) face significant operational constraints due to the 2019 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act. This law requires CSOs to have their CVE policies and programmes approved by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) before implementation, which CSOs claim curtails innovation and creates reporting redundancies.
• Recruitment patterns by extremist groups have evolved from traditional religious-based ideologies to more unorthodox methods. Modern tactics include the use of social media for tailored campaigns, data mining to manipulate potential candidates, and the infiltration of CVE efforts, such as youth empowerment forums.
• Women are increasingly recognized as critical actors in CVE due to their ability to detect early signs of radicalisation within families and communities. Women's organisations have lobbied for the inclusion of a gender pillar in the national strategy and have established 'safer spaces' to support survivors of violent extremism.
• There is a significant gap in financial and human resource capacity to monitor and implement CVE policies at both national and county levels. Additionally, short-term funding cycles for CSOs undermine the sustainability of their programmes.

APA

Sharamo, R. D., & Mohamed, A. A. (2020). Countering violent extremism in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-36.pdf

Chicago

Sharamo, Roba D, and Adan A Mohamed. Countering violent extremism in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-36.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sharamo |first1=Roba D |last2=Mohamed |first2=Adan A |title=Countering violent extremism in Kenya |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-36.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sharamo2020countering, author = {Sharamo, Roba D and Mohamed, Adan A}, title = {{Countering violent extremism in Kenya}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-36.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }