Masterminds target youth to execute terror attacks

Security agencies are grappling with the emergence of a new face of terrorism involving radicalization of youth in parts of the country.

A government document seen by the Nation says that radicalization of Kenyan youth has been taking place in Nairobi, North Eastern, Western and Coast regions.

It further warns: “Most of the radicalised Kenyans have undergone training on use of weapons and explosives and are capable of launching deadly attacks or creating (terror) support networks.”

This follows intelligence reports that Somalia terrorist group Al-shabaab has devised a program aimed at recruiting Kenyans who would wage war against their own country.

It is in retaliation to Kenya Defence Forces incursion into Somalia to engage the Al-shabaab fighters on their own soil.

The report says radical groups which conducted recruitment in mosques, have since changed tact following police crackdown.

“Extremists groups have changed tact from entirely using the mosques and madrasas to urge the youth to fight in Somalia, to distributing video footage propagating extremism and aimed at recruiting Kenyans to wage war against their own country,” says the report.

On February 2, a General Service Unit officer was killed in a confrontation between rowdy youth and police at Musa mosque in Mombasa.

More than 100 youths were arrested and police announced recovery of items associated with terrorism, including a gun and a flag similar to the one displayed by Al-shabaab.

“Although it was previously more pronounced in Muslim youth especially of Somali descent, the country is now witnessing enhanced recruitment of individuals from various religious and ethnic groups,” the document further says.

HIGH ALERT

Following the violence in Mombasa, security agencies including the police and intelligence were placed on high alert to prevent similar chaos spreading in Nairobi and other major towns.

On Thursday and Friday, platoons of the elite Recce Company of the GSU patrolled city streets and also guarded key government buildings including Nyayo House and Times Tower.

Hundreds of police officers in plain clothes were also deployed to carry out surveillance in the city.

The report said radical Muslim clerics were the masterminds of violence in Kenya.

“Radical Muslim clerics have been declaring fatwa against their fellow Muslim clerics for not supporting their jihadist cause. The extremists are radicalizing youth and urging them to carry out acts of violence against Muslim and Christian religious leaders,” according to the report.

Besides holding meetings, the radical youths were also using the internet to spread their message.

The report cautioned: “The country’s social fabric is threatened by pitting religious communities against each other, such as the riots witnessed in Eastleigh and Mombasa, stoking religious and ethnic tensions.”

Besides increasing law enforcement, an elaborate plan has been put in place to ensure the trend does not spread from the Coast where it has taken root, to other parts of the country.

It includes helping Sheikhs and Imams who have been ejected form leadership roles by the rowdy youths, to retake their positions.

Among other measures, the document says that “new mosque committees be put measure in place to ensure that criminals do not use places of worship to perpetrate criminal activities.”

Intelligence reports show “unsuspecting youth” are targeted for radicalization.

Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo said the trend was the biggest challenge facing law enforcement in Kenya today.

He repeated the remarks he made during the launch of rapid results iniative, a program aimed at achieving security goals in 100 days.

“One challenge which affects the country at the moment is the threat of terrorism and radicalization of unsuspecting youth. As a commitment to our county, the National Police Service reiterates its dedication in dealing with this problem by all means at our disposal,” said the police boss.

EMERGING TRENDS

During the function, President Kenyatta warned clerics who turned places of worship into places for radicalizing the youth.

Law enforcement officers involved in the war against terrorism over the years have had to contend with the changing trends.

In 2011, a new breed of Al-shabaab emerged and security agencies heavily invested in dealing with it.

It comprised of young men from different tribes of Kenya including the Kikuyu, Kamba, Kalenjin, Luo, Kamba, Digo and Luhya, a departure from a few years earlier when Al-shabaab membership comprised of foreigners from lawless Somalia and locals of Somali community, which borders the lawless country.

At the heart of Al-Shabaab bases in Somalia, the outfit was christened “Kenyan Mujahideen,” while local authorities described it as “a batch of misguided youths.”

These were the youths who came back to Kenya after undergoing training to launch terror attacks.

A security official who spoke to the Nation said the number of Kenyans crossing the border for training in bases inside Somalia has been dwindling after Kenya Defence Forces waged against Al-shabaab fighters on their own soil.

Consequently, he explained, the trend has changed and Al-shabaab has been depending on its sympathizers in Kenya to roll out a program aimed at radicalizing the local youth.

It’s not the first time that religious violence has erupted in Kenya.

On several occasions in 2007, bloody scenes happened around Masjid Pumwani Riyadha, another mosque in Nairobi.

At least a man was killed as rowdy youths stormed a meeting that was being held by five elders who were executive officials of the mosque.

The youths took over management and since then, it was placed under the radar of local and international anti-terrorism agencies.

It was largely linked to Muslim Youth Centre, an outfit that has since changed name to Al-Hijra, according to a UN report which went on to label it as Al-shabaab’s affiliate in Kenya.

The 2012 report by UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea accused the organization of recruiting for Al-Shabaab in Kenya and facilitating travel to Somalia to train and fight for ‘jihad.’

MYC’s ideological orientation was strongly influenced by slain Sheikh Aboud Rogo, an Islamic cleric who was based in Mombasa but frequently preached at the mosque.

The report UN report is prepared annually for the Security Council.