
Radicalisation to violent extremism has long been among the major peace and security concerns in East Africa. Al-Shabaab alone has been responsible for the deaths or injuries of at least 3,000 Kenyans in 538 terrorist attacks in just under a decade, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). Based in Somalia, the group has historically targeted Kenya’s diplomatic and tourism sectors in retaliation for the country’s involvement in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), exploiting the long, porous border between the two countries as well as corruption within security agencies.