Terrorism has become one of the potent threats to Kenya’s peace and stability in recent years. The increase in the attacks on the country can be linked to the intervention by Kenya’s forces in Somalia and its operations against the militant Al-Shabab group. Haki na Sheria Initiative (HSI) works in Northern Kenya addressing issues of security, CVE and CT.

1. CVE in Northern Kenya
Khasida Abdullahi, Haki na Sheria Initiative (HIS)
Presented at CVE workshop on "Understanding the changing nature of
Violent Extremism in Kenya“
Nairobi, Kenya, 15th December 2017

2. Brief background on CVE
• Terrorism has become one of the potent threats to Kenya’s
peace and stability in recent years. The increase in the
attacks on the country can be linked to the intervention by
Kenya’s forces in Somalia and its operations against the
militant Al-Shabab group.
• This can be demonstrated by the deadly attacks in Westgate,
Mpeketoni and the smaller grenade attacks in Nairobi.

3. Brief background on CVE
• The brunt of the attacks have been borne by the border
counties of Garissa, Wajir and Mandera where the killing of
innocent civilians by the Al-Shabab has had serious
repercussions on the economic, social and even
psychological well-being of the communities in the region.
• The Garissa University Attack where 148 persons mostly
students lost their lives resulted in a month-long curfew
during the holy month of Ramadan.
• This attack and others have been led by Kenyan youth
trained by the Al-Shabab in neighbouring Somalia.

4. What HSI is doing
Haki na Sheria is addressing these factors in CVE:
Haki na Sheria is involved in key litigation cases among them the curfew
case which was seeking to limit the powers of the police to impose an
unlimited curfew on the residents of the border counties of Garissa, Wajir,
Mandera and Tana River. –we put pressure that enabled the lifting of the
curfew before Ramadan.
HSI is partnering with other organizations (local and international) in
documentation of cases such as missing people and extra judicial killing
Second Class Citizens
We also partner with religious organizations to change some of the
misconceptions about Islam.

5. What HSI is doing
HSI is working with the government officials in making the process of
acquiring important ID documents easy for the community. (Citizenship
Program)
HSI has trained and employed youths as paralegals and empowers them
through out.
Haki na Sheria has been at the forefront in addressing issues of common
concern that affect the locals in Garissa and in pursuit of Human Rights. A
key example is the Justice for KDF Brutality Victims in Garissa in which Haki
na Sheria was instrumental in securing a ruling in favour of four of the
seven petitioners who sued the state for human rights violations. The
September 2016 rulling was as a result of a court battle between Haki na
Sheria and the state.

6. Our experiences on CVE Strategy
• The design of a CVE strategy must take in to account the above historical
and local context for effective and tailored programming.
• There should be two sets of CVE activities: broad and specific; each
addressing the pull and push factors of radicalisation.
• The first, specific activities, should be target high risk groups. For example
specific groups of youth, religious leaders.
• The second, broader set of activities, should be aimed at raising the
confidence in the public via the authorities as well as reducing the
conditions that foster violent extremist groups. This includes activities such
as good governance and socio-economic development—a role more suited
to government, civil society and international partners.

7. Conclusion
• Human rights violation and the denial of
rights and freedoms contributes to the
problems of regional instability and
violent extremist. Rather than
undermining, the governments and
Human Right defenders should promote
the rule of law and human rights.
• Human Rights are not secondary in any
strategy to promote stability and
countering violent extremism: they are
essential to its success.

8. Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE)
Research Hub Project under the Newton Utafiti Fund Programme
partnership. The grant is funded by the UK Department of Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and delivered by the British
Council.