Resilience and dialogue: Preventing violent extremism in Nairobi, Wajir and Kwale Counties in Kenya

The report examines community resilience and dialogue as tools to prevent violent extremism in three Kenyan counties. It identifies key risk factors, such as police brutality and socio-economic marginalisation, while highlighting existing strengths like inter-group collaboration. The authors argue for a shift from specific P/CVE interventions to broader, P/CVE-relevant development goals to reduce vulnerability.

• Several systemic risk factors increase vulnerability to violent extremism, including socio-economic deprivation, marginalisation, and deep-seated distrust of security agencies caused by human rights violations.
• Police misconduct, including profiling, harassment, and extrajudicial killings, acts as a primary driver for radicalisation, as victims and their families may join extremist groups to seek protection or revenge.
• Economic hardship, unemployment, and a lack of opportunity make individuals susceptible to recruitment, with some families in Nairobi and Wajir reportedly encouraging youth to join al-Shabaab for financial gain.
• Existing community resilience is evident through inter-group socialisation in cosmopolitan Nairobi, the use of counter-narratives via social media in Kwale, and established civic engagement networks in Wajir.
• Dialogue within communities is obstructed by ethno-religious tensions, a lack of trust in elders, and the systemic exclusion of women from decision-making processes.
• Dialogue between communities and the justice sector is hindered by the high cost of legal representation, delayed court proceedings, and a lack of accountability for historical injustices and land grabbing.
• The report recommends a policy shift from P/CVE-specific interventions to 'P/CVE-relevant' interventions that focus on reducing general vulnerability through socio-economic and governance development.

APA

Sigsworth, R., Olojo, A., & Kombo, Z. (2020). Resilience and dialogue: Preventing violent extremism in Nairobi, Wajir and Kwale Counties in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-33.pdf

Chicago

Sigsworth, Romi, Akinola Olojo, and Zaina Kombo. Resilience and dialogue: Preventing violent extremism in Nairobi, Wajir and Kwale Counties in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-33.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sigsworth |first1=Romi |last2=Olojo |first2=Akinola |last3=Kombo |first3=Zaina |title=Resilience and dialogue: Preventing violent extremism in Nairobi, Wajir and Kwale Counties in Kenya |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-33.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sigsworth2020resilience, author = {Sigsworth, Romi and Olojo, Akinola and Kombo, Zaina}, title = {{Resilience and dialogue: Preventing violent extremism in Nairobi, Wajir and Kwale Counties in Kenya}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear-33.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }