Kenya Launches National Interfaith Convention to Combat Violent Extremism and Radicalization

 

NAIROBI, Kenya — A powerful coalition of religious leaders, government officials, civil society actors, and international development agencies convened in Nairobi today for the opening of the National Convention on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE).

The two-day summit, running from June 9 to June 10, 2026, is organized by the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) in a joint partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The convention establishes a unified national platform for strategic dialogue, policy alignment, and grassroots experience-sharing, designed to inoculate local communities against radicalization.

The summit lands at a decisive juncture for Kenya’s security and social fabric, aligning with the rollout of the National Strategy to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism (NSPCVE 2025–2030). Delegates are focusing heavily on turning top-down national policy commitments into actionable, community-led initiatives, bridging the gap between state security frameworks and localized faith communities.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Sheikh Abdulahi Salat, Chairman of the IRCK, acknowledged that while Kenya has fortified its national security architecture, extremist networks remain highly adaptable. He warned that radicalizers are actively weaponizing socioeconomic vulnerabilities—including systemic poverty, social marginalization, digital misinformation, and long-standing local grievances—specifically targeting Kenyan youth.

"Faith leaders are uniquely positioned in this effort because we work closely with communities every day," Sheikh Salat stated, drawing on regional insights. "Our experiences in Kilifi, Kisumu, and Marsabit have demonstrated that sustainable peace can only be achieved when faith leaders, government institutions, women, and youth work together."

The convention is prioritizing demographic inclusion as a core pillar of modern counter-extremism efforts. In a speech delivered on her behalf by Programme Officer George Kimani, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Programmes, Ms. Madelina Monoja, stressed that women, youth, and children must be centered in these resilience strategies. Monoja's address emphasized that the family unit, local places of worship, and youth networks serve as the frontline defense against extremist infiltration.

A landmark output of the two-day convention will be the formal adoption of the Terms of Reference and implementation roadmap for the Interfaith and Ideological Working Group on Gender and P/CVE. The newly formed body is expected to streamline coordination among international donors, state bodies, and grassroots actors, ensuring that future counter-narratives are highly inclusive and gender-responsive.

Over the course of the summit, participants will evaluate community-level data, dissect emerging digital recruitment trends, and map out practical steps to solidify Kenya’s "whole-of-society" approach to long-term peace and national unity.