Violent extremism in Kenya

The report finds that while Kenyan women are rarely direct perpetrators of violent acts, they provide critical 'invisible infrastructure' for al-Shabaab through recruiting, intelligence gathering, and logistics. Involvement is driven by a complex interplay of poverty, socio-political marginalisation, and personal relationships. The study highlights severe impacts on women, including sexual violence in camps and psychological trauma from terror attacks and heavy-handed counter-terrorism (CT) operations. Current P/CVE responses are criticised for being gender-neutral and overly securitised, leading to mistrust between the state and affected communities.

• Women in Kenya primarily occupy non-combative, supportive roles for violent extremist organisations, acting as an 'invisible infrastructure' by recruiting, gathering intelligence, facilitating funding, and providing food, shelter, and medical care.
• There is limited evidence of women acting as direct perpetrators of violent extremism in Kenya, with many respondents viewing such acts as 'mambo ya vijana' (issues of male youth).
• Economic hardship is a primary driver of women's involvement, with al-Shabaab exploiting poverty and unemployment by promising jobs and money to vulnerable individuals.
• Personal relationships, including kinship and romantic ties, are significant predictors of involvement; women often join extremist groups to follow husbands or partners to Somalia.
• Women and girls in al-Shabaab camps face severe human rights violations, including forced marriage, physical abuse, and systemic sexual violence, with some returnees reporting contracting HIV.
• The Kenyan government's 'hard security' approach to counter-terrorism has fostered deep mistrust and resentment in affected communities, which may inadvertently increase radicalisation.
• Women in affected communities report being profiled, harassed, and subjected to invasive searches by security forces, particularly those wearing the buibui.
• Violent extremism causes severe psychological trauma and social fragmentation, leading to the breakdown of family units and increased tension between Muslim and non-Muslim community members.
• Current P/CVE policies and the National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism are largely gender-neutral and fail to address the specific needs, roles, and vulnerabilities of women.
• There is a significant disconnect and lack of coordination between government agencies, international donors, and civil society organisations in implementing P/CVE efforts, leading to the duplication of work and 'research fatigue' among women.

APA

Ndung’u, I., Salifu, U., & Sigsworth, R. (2017). Violent extremism in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/mono197.pdf

Chicago

Ndung’u, Irene, Uyo Salifu, and Romi Sigsworth. Violent extremism in Kenya. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/mono197.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ndung’u |first1=Irene |last2=Salifu |first2=Uyo |last3=Sigsworth |first3=Romi |title=Violent extremism in Kenya |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/mono197.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ndungu2017violent, author = {Ndung’u, Irene and Salifu, Uyo and Sigsworth, Romi}, title = {{Violent extremism in Kenya}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/mono197.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }