Violent extremism (VE) is an existential threat to Kenya’s national security. The Somalia-based terrorist group Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahedeen commonly known as Al-Shabaab, remains the gravest danger to Kenya and its neighbours. Having begun as a small terrorist group, it has transformed into a dominant force with wide networks that have enabled it to undertake violent operations across a wide arc from norther Somalia to East Africa.1 In 2023, there were 72 VE-related attacks in Kenya, resulting in the deaths of 178 people and occurring mainly in the North Eastern and Coastal regions.2 Kenya’s first terrorist attack occurred in 1980 at the Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi, followed by the USA Embassy bombings in 1998 and twin attacks in Mombasa in 2002.3 Thereafter, there was a lull in terrorist activities until 2011 when the scale and frequency of terrorist attacks peaked exponentially.

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