Preventing violent extremism in Kenya

This report examines the specific impacts of violent extremism on women in Kenya and evaluates the gender sensitivity of national and local responses. Based on 108 interviews, it argues that current counter-terrorism and prevention efforts are largely gender-neutral, failing to address the unique psychological, physical, and economic vulnerabilities of women.

• Violent extremism has caused severe psychological and emotional trauma for women, particularly those who have lost loved ones to death, disappearance, or recruitment by al-Shabaab. This trauma is described as "depression, deep sadness, despair, distress, anxiety and fear."
• Women and girls have been subjected to systemic sexual violence by violent extremists. Returnees reported being sexually abused by al-Shabaab fighters, and some girls aged 14 to 16 were recruited and forced into marriages with fighters.
• The Kenyan government's 'hard-security' approach to counter-terrorism has fostered mistrust and fear among women. Reported issues include police brutality, profiling of Muslim women wearing the buibui, and the disappearance of husbands and sons.
• Violent extremism has led to significant economic deprivation for women, often forcing them to become the sole breadwinners in patriarchal societies. This is compounded by the loss of livelihoods in coastal regions due to a decline in tourism.
• The Kenya National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism, launched in September 2016, is criticized for being gender-neutral. It does not address the specific intersection of women and radicalisation or the unique ways women are impacted by violent extremism.
• The government's amnesty or returnees programme, launched in April 2015, faces significant challenges, including a lack of safe houses for women and a lack of trust from returnees who fear both the government and al-Shabaab.

APA

Salifu, U., & Ndung’u, I. (2017). Preventing violent extremism in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear13.pdf

Chicago

Salifu, Uyo, and Irene Ndung’u. Preventing violent extremism in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear13.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Salifu |first1=Uyo |last2=Ndung’u |first2=Irene |title=Preventing violent extremism in Kenya |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=May 2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear13.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{salifu2017preventing, author = {Salifu, Uyo and Ndung’u, Irene}, title = {{Preventing violent extremism in Kenya}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear13.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }