Browsing by Author "Masaga, Geoffrey Nyansiri"

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    Drivers of Youth Radicalization into Violent Extremist Organisations in Isiolo County, Kenya
    (Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS), 2023) Masaga, Geoffrey Nyansiri; Handa, Stephen Okumu
    Isiolo County is a key economic node in the region, located as it does on the Lapsset corridor, which in turn links several road systems and promotes growth throughout the region. Cattle rustling, illicit guns, extremism, human and drug trafficking are all issues that threaten the safety of Isiolo because of its location. While there has been no major terror attack on Isiolo County soil, there has been an increase in terror-related activities as a result of some local youth becoming radicalized and joining violent extremist groups, threatening the safety of both Isiolo County and its neighbors. Youth radicalization is a major danger to the economic and social fabric of Isiolo County. It was speculated that the main causes of radicalization among teenagers in Isiolo County were neglectful/permissive parenting, drug and substance misuse, peer pressure, unemployment, marginalization, and poverty. Community policing strategies initiatives, fostering creation of jobs and entrepreneurship, developing an extensive rehabilitation and reintegration program for individuals who have been radicalized, empowering communities through education, building strong partnerships between communities and security agencies, and between parents and their children were among the interventions proposed with the goal of reducing radicalization. The study identified the drivers of youth radicalization in Isiolo County and strategies to prevent and counter youth radicalization in Isiolo County were proposed. The objective of this study was to examine the drivers of youth radicalization into Violent Extremist Organizations in Isiolo County, Kenya. Literature review included conducting an extensive review on the existing literature, reports, legal frameworks and previous research papers in line with the project title was done in line with the objective. The study adopted a mixed method research approach in collecting data. From the study various drivers of radicalization in Isiolo County were outlined. The study recommended youth empowerment, development of a comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration programs for radicalised individuals, inter communal dialogue and promotion of cultural integration, encouraging civil responsibilities and reintroduction of mandatory community service training to help in combating youth radicalization in Isiolo County eventually streamlining the community security.