A Template for the Global South? Understanding the Promises and Pitfalls of Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism in Kenya

Building on fieldwork in 2019 as part of the Prevention Project, this paper provides a brief scoping of the successes, limitations and insights from local stakeholders before suggesting recommendations with relevance for the wider prevention field.

The progress made with Kenya’s National Strategy for Countering Violent Extremism and various subnational offshoots, including (regular and rapid) County Action Plans, sets the country’s experience apart from similar efforts across the Global South. As a regional hub for P/CVE activities, it also provides valuable lessons for practitioners, specifically in relation to the use of systematic interventions, the mechanics and parameters of a ‘whole-of-society’ approach, and navigating the national security sector. 

While prevention work across Kenya is undoubtedly framed by contextual peculiarities, its shortcomings and accomplishments therefore offer an important case study for donors, policymakers and programmers.