Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the Republic of Kenya has written an interesting article for CNN today. Last month, Kenyatta, along with Kenyan citizens, commemorated the attack on the Westgate Mall, in Nairobi. On that day, 67 people lost their lives during the terrorist attack. Two of the terrorists were foreign fighters working for Al-Shabaab from Somalia.
Uhuru Kenyatta said that terrorist organizations usually thrive on the vacuums created by governments and manage to take advantage of various political factors. Before ISIS, there were Al-Shabaab and al Qaeda, which led violent movements in Somalia. Kenyatta believes that such extremist movements should be taken seriously from the beginning and taken out of the picture swiftly. The Kenyan President also believes in the power of educating young people and teaching them to differentiate between what is right and wrong. They should have the knowledge to identify and not let such networks recruit them. He gives the example of Somalia, where a great deal of women and men were initially recruited, before being trained and convinced to attack their home country.
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Kenyatta believes these young people are being turned towards extremist movements by clever narratives directed towards oppressed and marginalized groups of people. Such individuals are in need of a purpose and they are vulnerable. The lure of extremism seems like a better option, compared to the lives they had been leading initially. Religious and educational institutions which join in make it even more credible and worthy.
Kenyatta goes on about the importance of providing economic opportunities for young people. He wants Kenyans to understand the important role they play in the development of democracy in their country. He believes that his country’s longstanding relationship with western countries angers terrorists, because it provides an alternative to their ideology of “division and bitterness”. He further writes: “The path of democracy and security is not a simple or quick one, but Kenya is grateful for its ties with the United States, and the example it has provided in standing against the terrorists.”
Kenyattas also stated it is the right time to go on and try to expand their efforts against extremism and the recruitment of young men. He encourages his country to expose any illicit financial moves which might serve the extremists. He asks for responsibility and transparency among institutions. “Even as we expand our democracies, we must demand high levels of transparency and responsibility from all institutions – civil, commercial or governmental – that are in a position to feed the foreign fighter and terrorist ranks”, Kenyattas said.