Working with County and National Government to Implement the Amnesty Offer for Al-shabaab Returnees

The paper is on radicalization and violent extremism with a focus on answering the question whether powerful voices of co-existence are being heard. Its a good read for those scholars and practitioners on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) work with a focus on the coast of Kenya.

The Kilifi Plan for Countering Violent Extremism (KCPCVE)is the third to be launched under our technical guidance. The first was in Kwale County (KCPCVE), Spearheaded by Human Rights Agenda (HURIA), the second was the Lamu County Plan for Countering Violent Extremism (LCPCVE) and now the Kilifi County Plan for Countering Violent Extremism (KCPCVE). All these plans are clearly laid out with a view to addressing local priority pull and push factors to radicalization and VE. All the plans have an elaborate theory of change and an action plan matrix. To ensure implementation of the plans we have proposed in each county a County CVE forum, which will be operationalized soon. This is a stop gap measure waiting for the formation of the County Policing Authorities to take over this mandate as per the Kenya's Constitution 2010.

The Lamu County Action Plan for Countering Violent Extremism was launched on 28 March 2017 at the Mwanaarafa Hall in Lamu County by the Governor HE Issa Timmamy in the presence of dignitaries from the UK, US, Denmark, National Counter terrorism Centre (NCTC), Civil Society, Faith Based Organization (FBOs), Maendeleo ya Wanawake, Academia and the Lamu Community. The plan is a milestone in CVE efforts, especially for Lamu that has suffered due to VE. The plan proposes a County CVE Forum to implement and oversee the action points for the various stakeholders and coordination efforts. The forum will be the precursor for the yet to be established County Policing Authorities, upon their formulation the mandate of the CVE forum will then revert to these constitutional body.

Corporations need to implement Mwongozo to enhance and entrench corporate governance in our country

The Kwale County Plan for Countering Violent Extremism (KCPCVE) is a strategy that lays the structure and foundation for mitigating radicalization and violent extremism in the county. The plan is eked from the National Counter Violent Extremism Strategy that was launched by president Kenyatta. The plan is the first to be launched in Kenya by HURIA. The launch was graced by HE Ambassador USA, HE Ambassador Denmark, HE Governor Kwale County, and Ambassador Kimani of the National Counter Terrorism Centre was the chief guest

A total of 197 artisanal fishers along the Vipingo-Mida Creek stretch of the Kenyan coast were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires with the goal of identifying causes of conflicts in fisheries resource use. The collected primary data was coded and entered into Microsoft Excel, then analyzed descriptively. Further qualitative analyses were performed with the help of SPSS statistical software where selected variables were subjected to non-parametric test using Chi-square and, with STATISTICA statistical software where 1-way ANOVA was used for parametric test. Majority of fishers (53.8%) from the study area were youth of less than 35 years of age while 14.2% were older fishers above 50 years. Results of 1-way ANOVA indicated no significant difference in age of fishers among the study sites of Vipingo, Kuruwitu and Mnarani within the study area (df = 2; f = 1.004; p = 0.368). Further, the most common fishing gear was the gill net (39.1%), followed by fishing line (29.8%), and spear gun (21.2%) in that order. Chi-square test revealed a significant difference in gear usage between study sites (χ 2 = 46.658; df = 8; p≤0.001). The study found out that most (>95%) of the fishers in the area had experienced conflicts, either from other fishers at work or from other stakeholders. Fisheries resource use conflicts in the area were mainly as a result of fish theft from passive gears (34.1%), use of other fishers' gear without consent (20%), lack of payment for fish sold (14.1%), competition for fishing grounds (10.3%), destructive activities of aquarium fishers (8.1%), opposition of fishers to conservation policies (8.1%), and failure of traders to pay fishers (5.4%). To minimize fisheries resource use conflicts, and promote harmony amongst resource users and achieve sustainable use and management of fisheries resource, the study suggests education, awareness and sensitization programmes targeting the local artisanal fishers, zonation of fishing grounds and assigning them appropriate gear use, as well as providing exclusive fishing rights to a first comer to a fishing ground.