Terrorists did not randomly identify Kenya as a soft target for terror activities. In fact, intelligence experts trace terrorism to the cold war.
Arab terrorism began in the 1960s as a progeny of the Cold War and the Soviet decision to fund, train and otherwise encourage groups in the Middle East.
Several factors contribute to making the Republic of Kenya an attractive terror target. These factors relate well with the history of terrorism.
The Factors
Geography: This itself is the single most influential factor. The Geo-location of Kenya is crucial to regional socioeconomic.The history of ethno-religious geographical placement is an element in geography that factors terrorism in Kenya.
Ethnic Composition: Kenya has for a decade ranked among the most stable and most prosperous countries in Africa, but tribal frictions—and the increasingly partisan performance of the national leaders—have created an atmosphere of tension and unrest allowing terrorist to ideologize ethno-religious political alignments negatively to perpetrate terrorism.
Political Stability: Kenya has been in the recent past split into tribal factions politically. This political weakness has allowed Radical jihadists to combine religion, tribal sentiments, and politics to indoctrinate Muslim youths into militancy.
Unstable Neighbors: Kenya’s government is increasingly concerned over the unstable neighbors mainly Somalia, and Sudan. These and other neighbors battling internal conflicts maybe grounds for establishment of terror cells.
Islamic Fundamentalism, Poverty, and Lax Law’s: Kenya has been battling radical Islamic teachings inspired by Al-Qaeda terror group in the North East and the coastal region dominated by the Muslim community. The inhabitants of those region are poor hence vulnerable to radical ideologies.
Poor laws to punish terror suspects and financiers continue to allow masterminds of terrorism to walk free and later commit acts of terrorism.
What the writer puts as reasons for Kenya being targeted by terrorists are actually factors that support it. The real reason is to do with Kenya’s’ relation with, Not the west or the US but one powerful nation….(I wouldn’t name it) That is the genesis of terrorism in this country and it will continue because it is more of an ideological war. And Kenya Cannot do without this relation. We must match forward, even if there were no ethnic tensions terrorism would still be mentioned here. Terrorism is about politics in the middle east.
I no longer think that Islamic ideologies drive Al shabab. They may have started out on an ‘ideological’ platform but ended evolving to hired assassins. I think that this is a hired gang that is being used for political and economic gain within and without Kenya. If recent events are anything to go by……..financing by Kenyans, hiring of knowledge workers again who are Kenyans, mention of politicians/administrative officers related to financiers and suspected terrorist who are Kenyans. We also have terror groups getting into partnerships and being involved in definition of tuffs just like other criminal gangs (drug cartels, mafia) and businesses. It doesn’t matter whether we pull KDF out of Somalia, they shall continue to kill Kenyans if we do not do a clean up and put in place mechanisms to stop this bloodshed. The fight needs to be brought home against people sacrificing fellow Kenyans for economic and political millage. GOK, Please start de-worming.