Event
- Tuesday 4, August 2015, a conference held in in Kenya’s capital Nairobi revealed a worrying trend of Kenyan youths spending at least 8 hours daily on websites linked with terrorists.
- The conference themed “Terrorism: a challenge to emerging democracies in Africa’’ revealed youth radicalization and terrorism activities continue to thrive online.
- Several factors arrayed to youths turning to the extremist groups include; poverty, poor development and marginalization.
- At least 100 youths believed to had crossed Somalia to join terror group, Al Shabaab have surrendered back to the Kenyan authorities during the amnesty period that was given by the government.
Analysis
According to the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Kenyan youths between the ages of 20 to 25 especially in Nairobi spend up 8 hours daily going through terror related websites for recruitment into the extremist groups.
Surveillance on internet usage show youths especially those in universities spend long hour on terrorist linked websites learning various issues and it is imminent many do so with intention of joining the militant’s groups.
Similar incidences have be witnessed before where youths have been intercepted trying to cross over to Syria to join the Islamic State (ISIS).
Combination of internet, peer pressure and aspect of religion also explains why youths are being lured into joining the jihadist’s outfits.
Summary & Forecast
The rate of radicalization in Kenya and broader East Africa is alarming. Urgent stringent measures need to be addressed to contain the trend.
While the government has no capacity in stop citizen from traveling to either Somalia, the home base of Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen (HSM) or even to Syria where they can join ISIS, government is mandated to address the challenges affecting young people to an extent of wishing to join terrorist outfits.
Organized sound policy should be generated to counter-terrorism model of operations targeting youths from particular areas and religion. Devolution is also a key solution that can help contain further radicalization of youths.
