Graft in security agencies to blame for terror threats

Police take cover at Westgate mall during the standoff on September 22, 2013 photo/ JEFF ANGOTE (NAIROBI 

In Summary

• The NIS report says most of the Kenyans in Al-Shabaab were recruited from Majengo in Nairobi and its environs, Mombasa and North Eastern, with several youths having been trained and fought for the terror group.

By OUMA WANZALA
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Corruption among security personnel and other government agencies is to blame for increased terrorist threats in the country, an intelligence report says.

The report says rampant corruption among Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Immigration
officials is being exploited by terrorists to infiltrate the country and acquire vital documents such as IDs and passports.

“Al-Shabaab is also exploiting the inadequacy of security personnel along the border to target security establishments with the aim of stealing arms and carrying out kidnappings,” the report adds.

The study by the National Intelligence Agency (NIS) also warns that continued presence of Somali refugee camps is providing safe cover for terrorists to enter, recruit, indoctrinate, train, harbour and move the operatives to and from Somalia without detection by security agencies.

The report notes that Al-Shabaab sympathisers in Kenya especially those who lost trade opportunities following the intervention of the KDF in Somalia have also been encouraging, protecting and concealing the group’s activities and operatives.

The terrorists, says the study, are also capitalising on the inadequacies in counter-terrorism laws to further their activities in the country, hence change of tactic in dealing with the terror group is necessary including engagement of Muslim leaders, elders and Islamic scholars to counter radicalisation and general growth of extremism in the country and stabilisation of Somalia.

The report wants courts to ensure that stringent conditions are put in place to ensure that terror suspects are kept away from the society.

Intelligence also warns that Al-Shabaab sympathisers have been propagating radical jihad messages to unsuspecting students in several schools and colleges in Nairobi, where those who agree to join the group are given incentives.

They have also infiltrated mosques in Busia, Kisii, Oyugis, Mumias, Kiambu and Migori, with the country having over 300 Kenyans trained by Al-Shabaab currently in the country while about 100 others enter the country through porous borders.

The NIS report says most of the Kenyans in Al-Shabaab were recruited from Majengo in Nairobi and its environs, Mombasa and North Eastern, with several youths having been trained and fought for the terror group.

Poverty in the country has also been cited as a contributing factor as jobless youth are willing to join the group once given incentives.

It notes that the Al Shabaab still control most of Central and Southern Somalia from where they still plan to radicalize, train terrorist and plan terrorist attacks.

“The long standing cordial relations between Kenya and key Western nations mainly the US,UK and Israel has made the country attractive to attacks from extremist groups opposed to the nations’ heavy political and military involvement in the Arab and Muslim world.

The report adds that the continued radicalization of Kenya youth by some extremist Muslim clerics has also been another major factor which has made it possible for them to be recruited and then taken to Somalia to undergo terrorism training.

The threat of terrorism has remained a major global threat largely due to its transnational nature, the ability by terrorists to cause death and injuries in large magnitudes and the fact that terrorists subscribe to uncompromising extremist ideologies and ready to die for them as they have no value for life.

The collapse of the Somalia State in 1991 provided a safe haven and training ground for extremists.