A national dialogue conference on countering violent extremism in Kenya has called for an action oriented plan to reduce the increasing threat of radicalization and violent extremism in Kenya.
The conference co-organized by Act! and SUPKEM, with assistance from the US State Department and the Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi, seek to establish a coordinating mechanism between the Government of Kenya and civil society in the fight against violent extremism in Kenya.
Participants noted that the recently launched National CVE Strategy by the government, as a step towards winning the war against radicalization and terrorism in the country. They also called for the establishment of a national civil society CVE coordination mechanism to promote effective communication and collaboration with the government to defeat the wave of terrorism that has for years victimized communities in Kenya.
Speaking while opening of the two-day workshop, Amos Gathecha, the Security Secretary and Operations in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, urged the civil society to support the government in the implementation of the CVE Strategy. “We are aware of the central role that you (civil society) play in building the resilience of communities against violent extremism”, said Gathecha. He encouraged civil society to work together with the various government agencies including the National Counter Terrorism Centre, to address the growing concerns of extremism.
The conference has brought together CVE practitioners from the civil society, representatives from national security agencies and line ministries and development partners.
Through USAID and Royal Danish support, Act! is strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and communities to address the root causes of conflict and violent extremism in Kenya.
