Kenya Launches Public Portal to Tackle Violent Extremism

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Kenya’s National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) has launched a public information portal to increase public awareness of the threat of violent extremism.

NCTC Director Rosalind Nyawira said the portal, known as “Jasiri observatory” which translates to “resilience observatory” will be used to sensitize, inform, and empower individuals and communities to understand and respond to violent ideologies peddled by extremist groups.

“Violent extremism is a threat to national security. This portal empowers individuals and communities to identify and discredit violent extremist ideologies, facilitating public dialogue on the threat of violent extremism,” Nyawira said at the launch of the portal in Garissa University, located in northeast Kenya near the Kenya-Somali border.

The portal’s launch was done during the commemoration of the 2015 Garissa
University attack where armed Al-Shabab gunmen stormed the university, killing 148 people, among them students and security officers, and injuring 79 others.

Ms Nyawira called on Kenyans to explore the portal to learn more about violent extremism and ways in which they can avoid falling prey to radical ideologies aimed at propagating hate, fear, and violence in society.

“Violent extremism is a threat to national security. This portal empowers individuals and communities to identify and discredit violent extremist ideologies, facilitating public dialogue on the threat of violent extremism,” she said.

Adding, “We want Kenyans to speak out against violent extremism through this portal, hence the appellation “Jasiri” which is Kiswahili for resilience.”

The portal will further aid in the implementation of the upcoming national strategy to counter violent extremism.