In January, 2016, the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Robert F.Godec officially launched a five-year programme, “Strengthening Community Resilience against Extremism” (SCORE) in Malindi, Kilifi County whose objective is to respond to the threats of violent extremism and radicalization in Kenya.
The programme will work towards the creation of a flexible and inclusive civil society with the view of addressing the root causes of violent extremism whilst reducing the allure of potentially radicalizing messages. SCORE will also promote close cooperation with security agencies and the Government.
Speaking during the launch of the initiative, the U.S. Ambassador said that the US Government is committed to helping Kenya to address the global threat of radicalization and violent extremism. “One of the great challenges of our time is to counter extremism and radicalization. Youth have a key role to play in this fight”, said Godec.
Anne Nyabera, Act!’s Executive Director, thanked the U.S government for supporting the programme. She reiterated the need for civil society and government to work together in building bonds and enhancing mutual trust to defeat all forms of violent extremism and radicalization.
Mr. Dominic Ruto, Peace Building and Conflict Management Manager, Act! called for creativity and continuous improvement in programming among the selected partner organizations who will spearhead the implementation of the various initiatives aimed at dealing with extremist ideologies.
He further noted that, while unemployment among youth and lack of tolerance amongst society members were cited as major drivers of radicalization, caution should be taken not to escalate the problem by profiling communities and individuals on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, age and gender.
The six counties to benefit from the programme are; Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Tana River, and Lamu, with potential to expand into other Counties in subsequent years.
Act! is implementing the program on behalf of USAID.
