Kenya and the threat of extremism

Concerns have been raised about al-Shabaab’s increasing aggressiveness and broadening reach outside of Somalia. What can Kenya do?

Date: 2013-11-05

Time: 08:30 to 17:00

Venue: Conference Room , ISS Nairobi

RSVP: Samira Yusuf,
Phone: +254 728 607 642
Email: [email protected]

The 21 September terrorist attack on Westgate Mall in Nairobi raised concerns about al-Shabaab’s increasing aggressiveness and its broadening reach outside of Somalia. Questions have also been asked about whether the Westgate Mall attack could have been prevented and if Kenya is prepared to deal with similar threats in future.

In view of the militants’ threat to intensify attacks on Kenya until the Kenyan troops that are part of an African Union peacekeeping mission, leave Somalia, this seminar will examine the following issues:

• The evolving threat posed by al-Shabaab and other extremist elements in Kenya
• Kenya’s role in regional security
• Policy responses to extremism in the Horn of Africa broadly, and Kenya in particular

08h30 to 09h00 Registration

09h00 to 09h10 Introductory remarks

• Peter Alingo, Office Manager and Senior Researcher, ISS Nairobi
• Markus Baldus, Regional Representative, Hanns Seidel Foundation

09h10 to 11h00 Session 1: The State of (in)security in Kenya

Chair

• Markus Baldus, HSF Regional Representative

Panelists

• Macharia Munene, Professor of History, United States International University: Kenya’s security doctrine
• Patrick Oduma, OCPD, Central Police Station: Kenya’s internal security concerns and challenges
• Teresa Njeri, Lecturer, Utalii College: Kenya’s security from an environmental context
• Q and A

11h00 to 11h20 Health break

11h20 to 12h45 Session 2: Kenya’s security in a regional context

Chair

• Dr Kisiangani Emmanuel, Senior Researcher, ISS Nairobi

Panelists

• Capt (Rtd) Simiyu Werunga, Director, African Centre for Security and Strategic Studies: Kenya’s intervention in Somalia
• Najum Mushtaq, Policy and Communication Advisor, Life and peace Institute: The Westgate Attack
• Q and A

12h45 to 14h00 Lunch

14h00 to 16h00 Session 3: Understanding extremism

• Dr Mustafa Ali, Executive Director, Arigatou International: The question of radicalisation in Kenya
• Abdi Mohamed, Security analyst: Radicalisation as an ideology
• Col Ezani Karani, Responding to extremism as a source of insecurity in Kenya
• Q and A        

16h30 to 17h00 Conclusion

Cap (Rtd) Simiyu Werunga, Director, African Centre for Security and Strategic Studies: Summary of key issues and way forward

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